In honor of Earth Day, nearly 150 Beaufort County employees conducted a countywide cleanup, picking up more than 5.4 tons of trash along high-traffic roads on April 20.

“Employees enjoy participating because it gives them a chance to meet and mingle with other staff and give back to the community on top of their normal roles within the County,” said Artrell Horne, Litter Control Supervisor.

Beaufort County employees, Council Members Alice Howard and York Glover, and employees from the City of Beaufort and Town of Bluffton took time away from the office and participated in the cleanup.

Teams of volunteers picked up litter along various roads and stormwater ditches in Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head, Okatie, Seabrook, and St. Helena. Within a few hours, 10,280 pounds of litter was picked up, filling 540 bags. 

This Earth Day tradition began in 2018 when former County Public Works Director Dave Wilhelm saw an increased need for litter control due to the amount of construction debris and roadway trash from individuals. 

“He wanted to bring awareness to the community by hosting large-scale cleanup events and gathering all County staff to lead by example,” said Horne.

Thanks in part to improvements from SCDOT, local municipalities, and the more than 100 County Adopt-A-Highway groups that pick up litter year-round, less trash was picked up this year than previous years.