Old Village Post House Gets State Award for Environmental Protection

Mount Pleasant's Old Village Post House has received a state award for reducing its environmental footprint through recycling and conservation.

Five businesses, including the Post House, are being honored by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program.

"These 2012 winners exemplify how businesses and organizations can lead by example in protecting the environment and conserving resources while also improving their bottom line," said Elizabeth Dieck, DHEC’s director of environmental affairs. 

The Post House, a 30-seat fine dining restaurant and six-room inn, was recognized for conserving paper by reusing parts of its menu, for returning cardboard to its vendors and for conserving water in its lodging business.

Old Village Post House staff say the conservation efforts are simple, really. They operate on a small lot in a residential part of Mount Pleasant, so reducing waste is practical and good for the environment.

The S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program offers free, confidential, non-regulatory services including site visits, technical assistance, market research and workshops.

Here are the other winners from across the state:

Fruit of the Loom's Palmetto Distribution Center in Summerville became a "zero-waste" facility in 2012. As part of that effort, the facility recycled nearly 1.7 million pounds of material and earned more than $60,000 from the sale of the material. During the past year, the company also reused 104 tons of cardboard.

Santee Cooper in Moncks Corner was recognized for its comprehensive recycling efforts, including the recycling of more than 1 million tons of material. Additionally, the utility generated $3.4 million in revenue in 2012 from recycling items such as scrap metal, computers, unwanted transformers, used motor oil, paper and cardboard.

Mitsubishi Polyester Film, Inc. in Greer was honored for its Reprocess™ program as well as its recycling policies and efforts. The facility recycles or repurposes items such as plastic, pallets, cardboard, aluminum cans, used motor oil, electronics and fluorescent lamps.

AnMed Health in Anderson was recognized for its recycling program that generated savings of more than $56,000 in 2011 and 2012 by avoiding disposal costs and selling used equipment, cardboard, operating room surgical kit packaging, plastic and scrap metal. AnMed Health also recycled other material including paper, plastic bottles, steel cans, glass bottles, electronics, hard drives, batteries, light bulbs, cooking oil and pens.