Richland County, South Carolina, schools hold onto recycling

An article in The State, Columbia, South Carolina, reports that school districts in Richland County are pursuing new methods of recycling collection after Charlotte, North Carolina-based Sonoco Recycling ceased its free school pickup service in spring 2016.

The Richland County School District Two (Richland Two) school district purchased recycling roll carts from the county, and will be integrated into Richland’s collection routes, the article says.

“We were already recycling, and we know it’s the right thing to do, and we were committed to making it happen,” Richland Two spokeswoman Libby Roof told the newspaper. “We weren’t going to take a step back. [Recycling is] an important lesson for students. “

While the Richland County School District One has yet to make a decision on how to continue recycling, the District Five of Lexington-Richland Counties is hoping to contract with a private company, The State reports.

“District Five remains committed to being good stewards of our environment and to a comprehensive recycling program,” district spokesman Mark Bounds says in the article.