In celebration of Earth Day, Beaufort County Solid Waste and Recycling is once again hosting a regional cleanup event and would like to invite the public to participate.

This is a great opportunity to come together and show our commitment to keeping the County clean, litter-free and beautiful. 

The Earth Day 2023 Clean Up Event is Friday, April 21, with morning and afternoon slots available.

This is a huge event including numerous locations around Beaufort County, and public participating is needed to help make it a success. Participants will receive a T-shirt and lunch followed by a ceremony at 4 p.m. to commemorate the event.

Gloves, trash bags, and other cleaning supplies will be provided on-site. Please wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes. Once registration closes, people will be notified of their designated location and time for pickup, as well as where/how to get their supplies. 

In 2017, a former Council Member pitched the idea to then Public Works Director, Dave Wilhelm to host a County Cleanup day involving both County employees, members of the public and any local businesses interested in participating. That first event was called Beaufort County Fall Cleanup Day. Since then we have had numerous county-wide events.

The first regional event was in 2019 and expanded to include surrounding counties. Due to Covid in 2020 and 2021, efforts were scaled back to doing a small public works event in 2020. In 2022, the County hosted a full cleanup day. This year with Covid restrictions very low, Beaufort County Public Works is hosting a regional event again.

Last year was the first year there was a decrease in the amount of litter collected. The goal is to see a decrease in litter pick up again this year. With all events combined, Beaufort County has had over four thousand volunteers participate and more than 18 tons of litter collected. This year's regional event is expected to host more than two thousand volunteers.

Along with all municipal governments and law enforcement agencies in Beaufort County, the County is partnering with Jasper, Colleton, Hampton Counties, governments, Adopt-A-Highway groups, and all of their law enforcement agencies.

Other participants include County Adopt-A-Highway groups, local businesses, private citizens, and many volunteers from different departments. Litter clean up partners Keep America Beautiful, Keep Beaufort County Beautiful, Palmetto Pride will all be participating and supporting the County's Earth Day event.