PalmettoPride Awards over $600,000 in Grant Funding to Local Government, Enforcement Agencies, and Keep South Carolina Beautiful Affiliate Network
Columbia, SC (February 9, 2023) – Last week, PalmettoPride announced recipients for three of its competitive grant programs. Annually, PalmettoPride accepts applications for the Litter Crew Grant, the Litter Enforcement Grant, and the Keep South Carolina Beautiful Grant programs.
“Our grant programs provide resources that directly impact our communities at the local level,” said Sarah Lyles, Executive Director of PalmettoPride. “It is exciting to see the growth of litter prevention programs across the state, particularly in our rural counties.”
PalmettoPride awarded $333,570 for litter removal through the Litter Crew Grant. The Litter Enforcement Grant awarded $77,724 to law enforcement agencies across the state to assist in the enforcement of state and local litter laws. The Keep SC Beautiful Grant provided $211,646 to support the efforts of 23 Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliates.
The Georgetown County Environmental Services Division (GCESD) is one of the recipients set to benefit from the 2023 grant funding. GCESD created a litter crew in 2021 dedicated to roadside clean-ups and increasing public awareness around litter in Georgetown County. With funding from the 2022 PalmettoPride Litter Crew Grant, GCESD was able to staff its litter crew in March of 2022. Since then, the litter crew removed over 62,000 pounds of litter from 810 miles of roadway throughout Georgetown County.
Maureen Mulligan, Environmentalist and Training Coordinator at GCESD, stated, “It is my hope that through our continued efforts at litter removal, combined with increasing our education and outreach, we can continue to see a significant improvement in litter conditions on our roadsides. The PalmettoPride Litter Crew Grant plays a significant part in allowing us to achieve our litter reduction goals.”
GCESD utilized grant funding to assist with 17 community clean ups with the help of over 300 volunteers. The role of volunteers in litter prevention cannot be overstated in PalmettoPride’s mission. While litter prevention is best, routine pickup is necessary to reduce litter on roadways and to foster pride in communities. Through a combination of routine maintenance and volunteer events, communities stride towards a litter-free South Carolina.
For more information on PalmettoPride, contact info@palmettopride.org.
Litter Crew Grant
| County | Organization | Award |
| Beaufort | Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling | $25,000 |
| Berkeley | City of Goose Creek | $25,000 |
| Greenville | City of Greenville – Dept. of Public Works Solid Waste Division | $25,000 |
| York | City of Rock Hill/Rock Hill Clean and Green | $25,000 |
| Spartanburg | City of Spartanburg | $25,000 |
| Dorchester | Dorchester County Public Works/Solid Waste | $25,000 |
| Fairfield | Fairfield County Public Works | $25,000 |
| Georgetown | Georgetown County Environmental Services | $25,000 |
| Lancaster | Greater Indian Land Chamber of Commerce/Lancaster County Stormwater | $25,000 |
| Greenwood | Greenwood County | $25,000 |
| Spartanburg | Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful | $25,000 |
| Allendale | SouthernCarolina Alliance | $25,000 |
| Chesterfield | Town of Cheraw | $12,024 |
| Williamsburg | Town of Kingstree | $9,046 |
| Chesterfield | Town of Patrick | $12,500 |
Litter Enforcement Grant
| County | Organization | Award |
| Aiken | Aiken County Code Enforcement | $6,500 |
| Beaufort | Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling | $6,500 |
| Greenville | City of Greenville, Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Division | $6,500 |
| York | City of Rock Hill | $4,500 |
| Sumter | City of Sumter | $6,500 |
| Lexington | County of Lexington | $6,500 |
| Orangeburg | County of Orangeburg | $3,963 |
| Dorchester | Dorchester County Public Works / Solid Waste | $2,500 |
| Oconee | Oconee County | $3,250 |
| Beaufort | Port Royal Police Department | $1,500 |
| Charleston | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources | $6,500 |
| Oconee | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources – Unit 1A | $6,430 |
| Spartanburg | Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement | $5,739 |
| Lexington | Town of South Congaree Police Department | $6,200 |
| Dorchester | Town of Summerville | $4,142 |
Keep South Carolina Beautiful Affiliate Support Grant
| County | Organization | Award |
| Sumter | Clemson Extension (Keep Sumter Beautiful) | $9,936 |
| Aiken | Keep Aiken County Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Beaufort | Keep Beaufort County Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Berkeley | Keep Berkeley Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Charleston | Keep Charleston Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Colleton | Keep Colleton Beautiful | $6,118 |
| Horry | Keep Conway Beautiful | $8,066 |
| Greenville | Keep Greenville County Beautiful | $8,900 |
| Greenwood | Keep Greenwood County Beautiful | $9,000 |
| Hampton | Keep Hampton County Beautiful | $9,225 |
| Jasper | Keep Jasper County Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Laurens | Keep Laurens County Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Newberry | Keep Newberry County Beautiful | $8,166 |
| Charleston | Keep North Charleston Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Oconee | Keep Oconee Beautiful Association | $10,000 |
| Spartanburg | Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful | $8,800 |
| Orangeburg | Keep Orangeburg County Beautiful | $9,825 |
| Richland | Keep the Midlands Beautiful | $8,205 |
| Lexington | Keep the Midlands Beautiful | $8,205 |
| Charleston | Keep Wadmalaw Beautiful | $7,200 |
| Colleton | Keep Walterboro Beautiful | $10,000 |
| Williamsburg | Keep Williamsburg Beautiful | $10,000 |
| York | Rock Hill Clean & Green | $10,000 |
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PalmettoPride is working towards a litter-free South Carolina. Created as a legislative initiative to fight litter and help beautify South Carolina by engaging citizens to take action in their communities through education, enforcement, awareness, and pickup.