Want to keep using Beaufort Co.’s trash dumps? Make sure you apply for a decal
The 5,000 people a day visiting one of Beaufort County’s convenience centers to drop off trash and recycling will have to apply for a decal soon.
They will be required at all county trash dumps except one starting Jan. 1.
On Thursday, the county announced it will begin distributing physical and electronic decals next week to property owners who already applied.
However, due to a $500,000 road construction project to support the decal system, the convenience center on Hilton Head Island won’t require decals until at least March 1.
The decals are a part of the county’s attempt to curtail illegal dumping in the area and cut costs at the convenience centers. A solid waste study presented to council last year found that the 25-year-old convenience centers are too expensive to operate and lead to traffic, environmental and safety problems.
On top of implementing the decal system, the county has already reduced hours at all 11 convenience centers and plans to close the Pritchardville and Gate trash dumps in Bluffton and Beaufort by Dec. 31.
Critics of the plan say the decal system will only lead to more illegal dumping. They say that closing the two trash dumps will deprive residents of the “convenience” the centers provide.
To receive a decal, Beaufort County property owners must either apply online on the county’s new website, or they can fill out an application in person at one of the centers.
You must be a property owner to apply for the decal, meaning residents who are renting apartments or homes must contact the owner of their apartment complex to get a decal.
Once the application approved, a physical decal will be sent to each property owner. The decals must be placed in the top passenger corner of the property owner’s car.
Each household member will also receive an electronic copy of the decal for their phones, which will allow them to visit a dump using a different vehicle.
Each household will be allowed to visit a convenience center no more than twice a week.
For questions about the decal system, call the Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling Department at 843-255-2930 or submit a Citizengram at https://apps.beaufortcountysc.gov/feedback/index.php?SID=45.
To apply for a decal, visit https://apps.beaufortcountysc.gov/SWRDecal/decal-reg.php.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 1:07 PM.
