Eight S.C. Agencies to Expand Litter Law Enforcement with Funding from PalmettoPride
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COLUMBIA, S.C., Aug. 18, 2026 — PalmettoPride announced the recipients of its annual enforcement grants, which fund efforts to increase litter-related ticketing. Agencies use the money to purchase equipment to monitor hot spots for illegal dumping and to host community outreach events like tarp giveaways and waste tire buybacks. In the 2027 grant cycle, PalmettoPride awarded $31,881 to eight local and county agencies across seven counties.
2027 Enforcement Grant Recipients:
- Allendale County Sheriff’s Office
- Anderson County Environmental & Code Enforcement
- Bamberg County Code Enforcement
- Chester County Government
- Dorchester County Public Works/Solid Waste
- Lexington County Solid Waste Management
- Pelion Police Department
- Town of Ware Shoals
“Anderson County is honored to be selected as a grant recipient by PalmettoPride, whose support plays a vital role in strengthening litter law enforcement across South Carolina,” said Matthew Stipe, director of Anderson County Environmental & Code Enforcement. “This funding will allow us to deploy new surveillance cameras at illegal dumpsites, greatly improving our ability to hold violators accountable and protect the environmental quality of our community.”
“Chester County Code Enforcement was fortunate to receive a PalmettoPride Litter Enforcement Grant last year,” said T.J. Martin, Chester County code enforcement officer. “Through this funding, our department was able to purchase four trail cameras to assist with litter enforcement investigations. These resources help us investigate illegal dumping, identify offenders and promote a cleaner Chester County.”
Enforcement is one of several ways meaningful behavior change around litter can take place, though it is the most consequential, with fines and penalties of up to $1,000 and up to a year in prison. PalmettoPride has long worked alongside enforcement partners to increase the number of littering and unsecured-load tickets issued statewide. To qualify for the grant, recipients must report how many tickets they issue each month and show how the funding increased those rates. Last year, PalmettoPride’s enforcement grantees collected $86,308 in fines from littering, illegal dumping and unsecured-load violations.
In 2023, PalmettoPride took part in a multistate enforcement study that found little support among South Carolina judges and officers for increasing fine amounts, noting that steeper fines could reduce enforcement by making officers more hesitant to issue tickets. The finding reflects a broader pattern in enforcement research: the certainty of getting caught, not the severity of the penalty, is what changes behavior. As a result, PalmettoPride pivoted to helping agencies increase the number of tickets issued rather than pushing for harsher penalties. This grant program supports that goal, along with the organization’s annual Zero Tolerance for Litter campaign, coordinated each June with the South Carolina Litter Control Association.
“We’re happy to give our enforcement partners every resource they need — equipment, outreach materials, whatever it takes,” said Sarah Lyles, executive director of PalmettoPride. “But at the end of the day, we need officers writing tickets. These eight agencies are proof of what’s possible when enforcement is a priority, and we’re calling on agencies across South Carolina to follow their lead.” Agencies interested in future grant cycles can learn more at palmettopride.org/grants or contact info@palmettopride.org.
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About PalmettoPride: PalmettoPride leads statewide efforts that inspire and empower community action, build public awareness and support local solutions that reduce litter and care for South Carolina’s environment. Created as the South Carolina Governor’s Task Force on Litter by the S.C. General Assembly in 1997, the organization became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2001 and was renamed PalmettoPride — a public-private partnership united by a shared goal: preventing litter by shifting attitudes, habits and expectations around waste in South Carolina.
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