2025 Recycling Professionals Training and Workshop

SCDES’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling (The Office) recently hosted more than 100 recycling representatives from local governments, colleges/universities, and business for a free, three-day training and workshop at The Phillips Market Center in West Columbia. The Office put on two events in one by offering the Recycling Professionals Certification Training and Annual Recycling & Solid Waste Professionals Workshop over the course of October 14-16, 2025.  

The Recycling Professionals Certification Training has not been offered since 2022.  With the help of Susan Bush from Circular Matters, the Office worked tirelessly to revise the S.C. Recycling Professionals Certification Reference Manual to include the most up-to-date information about recycling data, trends, systems, and best management practices.  The training followed along with the manual and allowed recycling coordinators to ask questions and share examples from their areas. S.C. is unique in having a manual of this kind and offering such an involved training that is free. At the end of the event, the Office hosted an official graduation with “Pomp and Circumstance” playing, handshaking, and picture taking. The training will be offered on a two-year cycle, and the trainees will have to attend future Office events to keep their certification. Learn more about future events and access the 2025 S.C. Recycling Professionals Certification Reference Manual by visiting our Local Government Recycling: Professional Certification webpage.

The Annual Recycling & Solid Waste Professionals Workshop focuses on bringing together recycling stakeholders in person from around S.C. to:

• Hear updates from the Office (e.g., program changes, the state of recycling, goals for S.C. and strategies);
• Learn about SCDES resources (e.g., educational campaigns, grants, ambassador programs, recycling apps);
• Brainstorm and network with other local governments, colleges/universities, state agencies, and businesses; and
• Identify ways in which stakeholders can work collectively as a state to increase recycling rates.

Myra Reece, Director of SCDES, and Stacey French, the Assistant Bureau Chief for Bureau of Land and Waste Management, served as the keynote speakers.  SCDES employees provided updates on the S.C. Solid Waste Management Annual Report, Take Action SC, Tires, Grants, Recycle Right SC, Smart Business Recycling Program, and Don’t Waste Food SC.  We officially launched the Don’t Waste Food SC Ambassador program and asked local governments to serve as ambassadors. A new Recycling Hub Sharepoint page was announced that will serve as a state-wide online portal for recycling information and Office resources for local governments and universities. 

 External speakers from the City of Travelers Rest, Horry County, York County, Greenville County, Beaufort County, Clarendon County, Keep Greenville County Beautiful, Greenleaf Education, Redwood Materials, S.C. Office of Resilience, S.C. Department of Commerce, Sustain SC, and Organics Management participated.  

The Office also announced the FY24 Smart Business Recycling Program Award Winner and 2025 Honorary Recycle Guy Awards. We had a special appearance by Can Guy and Sparky to help provide the awards.

The S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program Award seeks to recognize businesses, restaurants, hotels, non-profits, institutions, industries, and other organizations in South Carolina that implement recycling and other sustainable practices to reduce their environmental impact.  Businesses become eligible after they provide the agency with their yearly data.  The Smart Business Recycling Program Winner for Fiscal Year 2024 is Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC. out of Charleston County. Company representatives provided a presentation on how they’ve been able to create a “closed loop” process to handle waste solvent so what is created on the production line can be recycled and reused. They also are committed to training new employees on recycling and food waste prevention as well as partnering with multiple organizations to increase sustainability in their company.

The Recycle Guys Award began in 2007 to recognize those individuals who have really demonstrated their support, dedication, and commitment to recycling. It is the Office’s highest honor and represents hard work, determination, partnership, and a willingness to work with others to bring about a positive difference in the waste reduction. The 2025 awards were provided to:

• Susan Bush, with Circular Matters, was vital in helping to provide a national perspective on recycling, did a thorough review and provided revisions to the 2025 S.C. Recycling Professionals Certification Reference Guide, and created and presented multiple sessions of the in-person training.
• Ava Baker, with Clarendon County, is invested in providing all residents with equitable, efficient, and effective ways to dispose of and recycle their waste while using funds wisely. She was able to secure a SCDES Solid Waste grant to conduct a Waste Feasibility Study to determine if utilizing a hub-and-spoke model to develop a regional recycling program would enable smaller, rural counties to offer affordable recycling options.

Both events were a great success thanks to the hard work of the following SCDES employees: Richard Chesley, Gregg Glymph, Grace Anne Martin, Woody Barnes, Savannah Murray, Stefanie Vandiver, Anna Grace Romine, Kayla Maier, Chelsea Beahn, Sallie Williams, Kyle Clark, Marty Lindler, Justin Koon, John Taylor, Taylor Bowen, Juli Blalock, Stacey French, and Myra Reece.