A Note from Jane
During “Earth Day” month, let’s celebrate our planet and renew our commitment to keeping our air, water, and soil healthy.
Learn how, and have fun, at Columbia’s annual Earth Day Celebration on April 24 (9 am – 1 pm) during Soda City Market. The event will be hosted by the Columbia Museum of Art outside on Boyd Plaza and is sponsored by EEASC’s local Green Step schools and mentors including Columbia Sustainability, H.E.R.O. Homeschool, Irmo Middle School, Midlands Recycling Educators, Richland Soil & Water Conservation District, SC Wildlife Federation and SC Forestry Commission/Project Learning Tree.
Be sure to bring some “greenbacks” for a variety of fun upcycled items available with a $1 donation: t-shirt tote bags, soda bottle flip-toys, recycled paper making kits, forestry games, microgreen greenhouses, vermicompost canisters, and more. Proceeds will support EEASC.
Happy April!
Jane HillerEducation Director, Sonoco Recycling
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Earth Month Recycling Events
April 1- June 30
Keep the Midlands Beautiful Shoe Drive
April 17
(9am-3pm)
Lexington County Household Hazardous Waste Event
at Chapin Collection and Recycling Center, 103 Distant Lane, Chapin.
Free for Lexington County residents only (no businesses)
April 17
(8am-Noon)
Earth Day Shred Day at Columbia Place Mall
Free for Richland County residents only (no businesses)
Info: 803-576-2440
April 17
(4:00pm-9pm)
Shuckin’ on the Shoals Oyster Roast at Saluda Shoals Park
Contact: dpatton@icrc.net.
Note: The Department of Natural Resources dumps bags of cured shells into state estuaries to give free-swimming larvae an attachable surface, ensuring future oyster harvests. Everyone is encouraged to take trash-free oyster shells to one of two Oyster Shell Recycling Stations in Columbia near City Roots Organic Farm or Clothing World.
4681 Percival Rd, Columbia, SC 29229.
April 24
(9am-1pm)
Lexington County Recycling Event
Batesburg-Leesville High School, 600 Summerland Ave, Batesburg-Leesville
Free for Lexington County residents only (no businesses)
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Other Eco Events in April
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Local artists Susan Lenz, Maggie Rozycki, and Jennifer Lee Morrow will give a Textile Talk on April 14 on “Textile Narratives: Vintage, Found and Transformed.” Hear how they find, are guided by, and transform objects to create their own stories layered on those of the past. Some of the upcycled art is currently on view in the SCETV building.
As part of 2021 Artista Vista, Stormwater Studios will feature eco artists Kirkland Smith, Heidi Darr-Hope, Eileen Blyth, and Clark Ellefson at an outside event on April 17 (10 am-3 pm).
Susan Lenz will compete with 400 other artists in the ArtFields Juried Art Show in Lake City April 23 - May 3 with her installation of “The Cocoon” made entirely from upcycled household linens, old gloves, vintage garments, and found fabrics. The installation was made at the Rensing Center where SCETV filmed a segment for Palmetto Scene. CLICK HERE for the seven-minute episode.
Other local eco artists will participate in the ArtFields “Makers Market” April 23 and 24 (1 pm-6 pm) including Flavia Lovatelli, and Bobby and Catherine Baker
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Litter Prevention
Keep the Midlands Beautiful will collaborate with UofSC students to clean a stretch of Fish Hatchery Road in Lexington County for “Spotless Service Saturday” April 3 (9am-Noon.) All materials and safety gear will be supplied. Contact Keep the Midlands Beautiful to help that day or plan a pickup of your own.
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Carolina Wildlife Center will host its annual Baby Shower on April 10 -11. Join to help them get ready for the hundreds and hundreds of wildlife babies that will come through our doors this spring. Over half of the more than 3,500 animals, they’re expecting this year are projected to come to them in the next 3 to 4 months.
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Face Mask Recycling
Disposable face masks are being incorporated into a mix to create roads.
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Razor Recycling
Gillette’s Planet KIND project in partnership with TerraCycle is helping to recycle some of the estimated 2 billion razors thrown away every year.
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Plastic Recycling Investment
Unilever North America announced a $15 million investment in the Closed Loop Partners’ Leadership Fund to help recycle an estimated 60,000 metric tons of U.S. plastic packaging waste by 2025.
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Agencies
- The S.C. Food Hub Network helped four state food distributors allocate more than $5 million in fresh food in 2020, including $1.3 million from S.C. farmers. The network coordinates resources for food hubs, which connect farmers to buyers.
- The South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff and the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism unveiled new electric vehicle charging stations at Sesquicentennial State Park, along with Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville and Santee State Park in Santee. All charging stations are free to use. (WACH Fox)
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Businesses
- Aldi outlines their commitment to reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, increasing energy efficiency, decreasing its carbon footprint, and improving green building standards across all of its stores and operations.
- Primal Kitchens, part of Kraft Heinz, is the first company to commercialize Sonoco’s Natrellis, a new molded paper packaging made from U.S. grown sugar cane that can go in both ovens and microwaves. This new line of Primal Kitchen’s bowls and skillets will be in stores like Walmart, Whole Foods, and more.
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Citizens
Ready for spring gardening? Richland Library patrons can find seeds and garden equipment in their Library of Things.
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Consumers
Fast fashion may be known for its affordability, but it has massive costs for the environment and those who make the clothes. NPR’s Life Kit has five tips for shopping smarter and curating a more ethical and eco-conscious closet.
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Leaders
March was Women’s History Month and a great time to thank all the great “Green Gals” in the Midlands.
In addition, we are sending a special “shout out” to two women with new positions in sustainability:
- Traude Sander (below left), former Lexington County Recycling Coordinator, recently joined Keep the Midlands Beautiful as their Grants and Marketing Development Coordinator.
- Elizabeth Rhue (below right) was recently promoted to Staff Vice President of Sonoco’s Global Sustainability Team. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Keep the Midlands Beautiful.
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Local Government
The City of Columbia is planning a $6 million project to add over a mile of sewer line along Gills Creek from Tall Pines Road to Bluff Road and I-77. The new pipe will be a relief line, which will help prevent overflows. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. (The State).
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Non Profit
Sustain SC has been launched to connect the sustainability goals of the state’s businesses with local natural resource solutions for the benefit of South Carolina’s economy, environment and people.
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Upcoming Events
MAY 2
(11am-5pm)
Mad Hatters Art Party (including upcycled art and outrageous hat contest)
MAY 15
(8am-3pm)
Richland County Recycles Day at the S.C. State Fair Grounds
A drive-thru, drop-off event where you can responsibly recycle: Tires, E-Waste, Chemicals, and more.
Free to Richland County residents only (no businesses)
Info: 803-576-2440
MAY 15
(9am-3pm)
Lexington County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Event
at EcoFlo 1741 Caulks Ferry Road, Lexington
Free to Lexington County residents only (no businesses)
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