Beach Trash Bin Update

Due to the severe storms on the island this winter, almost all trash bins along the beach were washed away and unrecoverable. This provided a unique opportunity for the Town to gauge the community’s preference on beach trash management moving forward. To gain this feedback, the Town provided a community survey for several weeks in February. More than 1,140 community members and visitors responded. Highlights from the results include:

  • More than 92 percent of respondents selected that they preferred trash bins to be returned to the beach.
  • About 7 percent selected that they preferred all trash bins to be removed from the beach.
  • More than 62 percent selected that they preferred trash bins on the beach side of the boardwalks and almost 30 percent selected that they preferred trash bins on the landside.

You can read the full survey results and comments here

Actions Moving Forward
The Town has started to reintroduce trash bins at high-traffic boardwalks, which include boardwalks 1, 5, 8, 12, 18, 22, 28, 32, 40, and 42. A map showing the island’s boardwalks is available here. The dog waste bag stations will be available at these locations as well. The daily trash pick-up along these stations has started as well. The Town’s Public Works Department will be conducting weekly monitoring of these stations throughout the peak season (Easter through Labor Day) to ensure that the regular trash pick-up is sufficient and that all bins are working properly. Please email Public Works Manager Brian Gottshalk at bgottshalk@kiawahisland.org with any questions or concerns.

At the upcoming Town Council retreat in May, members will be discussing potential measures to enhance the town's trash management system. Among the measures under consideration are the installation of additional trash locations, sturdier enclosures, and more frequent trash pick-ups. However, it's worth noting that these measures would have budget implications. Therefore, no decision has been made yet. The Council will discuss these proposals thoroughly and decide on the best course of action during the retreat in May.