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Litter and Waste

 

Glass Recycling

Did you know that most of the glass that people think they are recycling ends up going into landfills? The city partners with Fisher Recycling, to recycle 100% of glass collected in our community. In 2023, the IOP community recycled approximately 8 tons of glass!

Due to the success of this program, we doubled the number of collection cans in 2024!

Isle of Palms drop site locations:

  • Carmen R. Bunch Park next to Harris Teeter shopping center
  • Isle of Palms Marina at 41st Avenue

 

Smart Composting

Isle of Palms residents can now recycle food scraps for FREE. In 2023, the IOP community recycled approximately 8 tons of food scraps! 

1. Drop off your food scraps at designated drop sites. 

2. Home Composting: utilize your yard or patio and keep your compost for use in your home garden.

Isle of Palms drop site locations:

  • Carmen R. Bunch Park, next to Harris Teeter shopping center
  • Isle of Palms Marina at 41st Avenue 

Sign up is required

Explore Compost Workshops, Tours, and Trainings 

 

Reducing Cigarette Butt Pollution 

 

  • The Environmental Advisory Committee collaborated with Surfrider Foundation for the purchase of signage and butt canisters
  • Installed at front beach and IOP marina in 2022
  • Maintained by Public Works
  • Reported drop in % of beach litter related to smoking- 16% in 2023 from 21% in 2022

Toy Bin

In September of 2025, Mujeres Latinas de Carolina del Sur gave a presentation to the EAC committee for their “Waves of Change” cleanup station and toy bin. They are a non-profit organization that focuses on their members finding ways to promote the protection and education of safeguarding the environment.

Their proposal was to install cleanup stations with toy bins along beach access paths on IOP. This could encourage families to keep track of toys and beach items brought to the beach, and potentially reduce the number of forgotten toys that turn into litter.

The City’s Community Enrichment Task Force suggested that the City “explore” adding these types of toy bins and cleanup bucket trees at “high traffic” beach access points.

The EAC passed a motion to have one “test” station installed at the 25th Ave. beach access path for the summer season, and have it monitored by the IOP Clean Up Crew and Public Works Dept. to see if it is successful.

If there are positive results, more stations will be added.