New Materials Recovery Facility planning to open this year

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A new $30 million recycling center is finalizing work to hopefully open this year.

The recycling center will be located West of I-26 at 8099 Palmetto Commerce Parkway in North Charleston, about three miles north of Ashley Phosphate Road.

Plans show the Materials Recovery Facility, or MRF, has been in the works for more than four years. The opening was pushed from 2018 to 2019 because of foundation issues, and then to August of this year.

On Wednesday, Councilwomen Anna Johnson is holding a roundtable discussion to give environmental plan updates for the county. She says one of the items on her agenda is an update on the MRF.

Charleston County spokesperson Shawn Smetana says the sorting equipment in the facility is being tested now.

Smetana says once that is completed, the facility will be fully operational and they would plan for it to be open this year.

The latest delays are because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Smetana says.

Plans show the new recycling center will replace the Romney Street location since a lot of the recycling in the Charleston area is sent to Horry County.

Once open, the new MRF is projected to process 25 tons per hour, which officials say is five times faster than current speeds.

Councilwomen Anna Johnson’s roundtable is open to anyone to join and she says it starts at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday over Zoom. Johnson says information on how to join is available on her website.

The councilwoman says she also plans to discuss educational programs regarding recycling and the environment.

Once operational, the MRF says they plan to have an education center at the new recycling facility for student tours.

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