SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — Adopt-a-Stream and Palmetto Pride have teamed up to help the environment in South Carolina.
Adopt-a-Stream is an established network of volunteers who monitor and clean local waterways. They use a database to track potential pollution.
They’ve teamed up with Palmetto Pride, an anti-littering organization.
Sarah Lyles is the executive director at Palmetto Pride. She said combining forces will allow them to map out litter and illegal dump sites.
"We need to get law enforcement involved to see about finding the source of it if it was an individual or a business, who is putting the litter and illegal dump site, debris there," Lyles said.
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Illegal dumping is considered 15 or more pounds of trash. Lyles said this not a victimless crime – it hurts local communities.
Lyles explained Palmetto Pride's role is to help with the pickup of the litter, helping track it, hoping it leads to the reduction over time.
She said the organizations are focused on pick up but also prevention.
They’ve noticed littering in South Carolina is not increasing as the population does. But, it’s still not great.
In 2022, Palmetto Pride had 50,000 volunteers who picked up over three million pounds of trash.
Palmetto Pride has 38 affiliates in South Carolina, including Keep America Beautiful. Adopt-a-Stream and Adopt-a-Highway are two of their many programs.
If you're interested in volunteering with Palmetto Pride, visit this website for more information.
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