Columbia County recycling manager outlines what’s accepted, warns some plastics can’t be processed locally

Columbia County recycling manager Jenny Verner gave a plain-language overview of the county's recycling operations, listing what residents can bring, where materials go, why some items aren't accepted and how to avoid damaging processing equipment.

"Our recycling program is what's called a source separated program," Verner said, and added that the county accepts number one and number two plastics, non-waxed cardboard, paper such as junk mail, aluminum and other metal cans, and glass in green, brown and clear. She said electronics and appliances are accepted but that the county charges for some items such as flat-screen televisions.

Verner warned that some commonly brought items, including Styrofoam and higher-number plastics (3–7), cannot be recycled locally because the county does not have nearby processors for those materials. "We do not have those processors. The closest one we have is in Atlanta," she said, adding that the county must store separated batches until there is enough to fill a semi-truck for shipment.

Contamination is another persistent problem, Verner said. "If somebody puts a piece of glass in a cardboard box and we don't catch it and it goes in the baler, that can cause damage to the equipment," she said, urging residents to pre-sort materials so staff can process them quickly and safely.

On end markets, Verner said cardboard and plastics go to a Sonoco plant in Columbia, metals go to a processor called Thompson, and glass is transported to Atlanta by a county hauler. She described upgrades the county has made to increase capacity, including adding balers and forklifts and modernizing facilities.

Verner also outlined the program's history: Columbia County closed its landfill ("last day of operations was July 1st of 2006," she said) and later opened a recycling site at the William Few location in Grovetown; Verner said the William Few site's first day of business was March 2010. The county added a Riverside facility and equipment upgrades in 2013 to handle more material.

Both facilities accept the same types of materials, Verner said. She gave hours for the sites: Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, Verner directed residents to the Columbia County website and a revised recycling guide; the transcript notes the guide includes accepted and unaccepted items and a phone number but the specific phone number is not specified in the transcript.

Cassidy Harris, Columbia County public relations director, closed the episode by thanking Verner and staff for their work and reminding viewers the county website hosts the recycling guide and contact details.

The episode provides operational details residents can use to avoid contamination and ensure materials are routed correctly; it also highlights that some materials commonly labeled with recycling symbols cannot be accepted locally because local processors do not exist for those streams.