Lexington County Solid Waste Management provides education outreach to schools, community groups and individuals interested in learning about recycling and responsible waste disposal. For information on the programs below or other recycling/solid waste related issues, contact the Recycling Coordinator at (803) 785-3340. 

 

   

County Environmental Education Programs

 

 Green Steps Environmental Education 

Green Steps is an environmental education initiative that encourages individual schools to take steps toward becoming more environmentally responsible. Each year, participating schools work on projects in three categories (1) Conserve, (2) Protect and (3) Restore. Schools that successfully complete two model-quality projects in each category for more than one year are recognized as "certified" Green Steps Schools.  Mentors from the public and private sectors offer guidance and resources in planning, executing and evaluating the success of school projects. Lexington County Solid Waste Management is a Green Steps partner and provides assistance for participating schools.  For additional information, please go to the Green Steps website.

Learn more about the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC), who is a sponsor of the Green Steps School program Here. 

2023-2024 Green Steps Schools in Lexington County

• Beechwood Middle School (Conserve & Restore)
• East Point Academy Elementary (Re-Certified) 
• HERO Homeschool (Conserve, Protect and Restore)
• Irmo Middle School (Re-Certified) 
• Leaphart Elementary School (Re-Certified) 
• Pleasant Hill Elementary School (Re-Certified)
• Piney Woods (New) 
• Saxe Gotha Elementary School (Restore) 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE SCHOOLS/INDIVIDUALS IN LEXINGTON COUNTY WHO WON AWARDS FOR THEIR WORK: 

• 2024 Litter Champion of the Year Award: Richard & Jean Senterfeit
• EEASC 2024 PROTECT School of the Year Award: Leaphart Elementary
• EEASC 2024 CONSERVE School of the Year Award: Irmo Middle School
• EEASC 2023 CONSERVE School of the Year Award: Leaphart Elementary
• EEASC 2023 PROTECT School of the Year Award: East Point Academy Elementary
• EEASC 2023 RESTORE School of the Year Award: Irmo Middle School
• EEASC 2023 Outstanding Youth Award: Emma McCaffrey, Batesburg-Leesville High School, Senior
• EEASC 2023 Mentor of the Year Award: Jay Keck, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Lexington County School Mentor
• 2023 County of Lexington Storm Drain Project Awareness Award: River Bluff High School

2022-2023 SCHOOLS WITH NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE: 

• Batesburg-Leesville High School a new Green Steps Schools Program participant, working towards Sustaining Projects
• Gilbert High School FFA Team placed 3rd in the FFA portion of the State Envirothon Competition
• Gilbert High School FFA Equestrian Team placed 1st at the South Carolina Horse Evaluation Competition and team member Kaitlyn DeCarlis earning the High Individual Award
• Lakeside Middle School for starting a recycling program
• Piney Woods Elementary for forming a "Green Team" to foster environmental education
• White Knoll Elementary School for starting a recycling program

 

Do you know someone who deserves an environmental award? 

Lexington County is excited to release the nomination submissions for the 2025 Environmental Awards. Projects must be taking place in Lexington County and participating in an environmental stewardship program to be eligible to receive the award. Additional details about each award are below. 

County of Lexington Storm Drain Awareness Project Award

This award was created from a partnership between Lexington County and the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina, County of Lexington Stormwater Consortium, and Congaree Riverkeeper. Additional partners that contributed to past projects, include the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Sustainable Midlands and City Art in Columbia.

Recipients of this award have completed a project that demonstrates an engaging or public effort to protect a surrounding aquatic ecosystem, educate the community about the importance of being an engaged environmental steward, raises awareness to keep storm drains clean, and/or provides information about protecting local waterways from pollution.

Litter Free Lexington County- Litter Champion of the Year

This award was created from the Litter Free Lexington County program, and recognizes County Litter Champions. The Litter Champions program was developed in 2019 for individuals looking to make a difference in their community by picking up and reporting amounts of Litter removed from County roadways. In 2022, there was a concerted effort to collaborate with litter partners around the County to demonstrate the amount of work being completed to fighting litter.Litter Free, Lexington County, SC is a partnership program between the Babcock Center, County of Lexington Litter Crew, Lexington County Sherriff’s Department, Keep the Midlands Beautiful, and County Litter Champion volunteers.

Recipients of this award have been regularly picking up litter in the County Litter Champion program, have removed several pounds of litter and are partners in cleaning and are submitting regular report cards to the Department of Solid Waste Management. Amounts are verified through regular report card and photo submissions of litter collected and removed.

County of Lexington Food Waste Reduction and Diversion Paladin

This award is to recognize that food waste is an important waste diversion strategy, and helps reduce space in landfills, methane gas emissions and creates a local healthy product that can be used in place of soil amendments, fertilizers and other soil to create healthy plants and gardens. Food donations are also a great way to reduce food waste and help provide food to those in need.

The recipient of this award has demonstrated that their process, program or system diverts and removed a large quantity of compostable or donated products from the waste stream. The tonnage must be demonstrated through scale tickets, recorded weights and photos of the composting or donation process or project.

County of Lexington Recycling Rockstar

This award is to recognize recycling as an important waste diversion strategy, and helps reduce space in landfills, increases availability of recycled content availability and product development.

The recipient of this award has demonstrated that their group has diverted and/or removed a large quantity of recyclable products from the waste stream. The tonnage must be demonstrated through scale/weight tickets and photos of the recycling process or project.

County of Lexington Environmental Awareness Award

This award was created from a partnership between the County of Lexington, the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina, and the Lexington County Soil and Water Conservation District to recognize exemplary actions or awareness about an environmental or conservation issue in the County of Lexington.

Recipients of this award have completed a project that demonstrates an engaging or public effort to protect a natural area, conserve a resource, or otherwise helps improve community health and well-being in the County of Lexington.

County of Lexington ELEVATE LexCoSC Business of the Year

This award was previously called the Green Business of the Year Award, and has been re-named to engage with the new ELEVATE LexCoSC business program. This program is a countywide opportunity for businesses to learn about elevating and sustaining their business with measurable results and allows members to experience changes other businesses have made to improve their business practices through efficiency, conservation of resources or implementation of waste reduction and mitigation measures.

Recipients of this award have completed a project that demonstrates they have reduced their use, increased their efficiency, mitigated resource use or implemented another type of strategy that elevates their business in the community.   

 

SUBMIT 2025 Nominations HERE Nominations close June 1st, 2025. 

 

Facilities Tour 

Lexington County Solid Waste Management offers a multi-faceted field trip that can be customized especially for your class or group. Offered at the Edmund Landfill, you can see a working recycling/municipal solid waste collection station, compost and mulch grinding facility, oil recycling operation, transfer station and landfill with multiple cells. These tours are limited and do require a reservation at least 1 month in advance. email recycling@lex-co.com for more information. 

 

Recycling and Solid Waste Education Presentations

What's the difference in a collection station, transfer station and a landfill? What can you recycle in Lexington County and how should you prepare your recyclables? The Lexington County Recycling Coordinator explains this and more in presentations designed especially for your group. Especially good for schools, civic groups and neighborhood associations. Email recycling@lex-co.com for more information.