The City of Rock Hill has an Environmental Educator on staff to teach children and adults alike how they can do their part to keep Rock Hill Clean & Green. Rock Hill Clean & Green partners with York County Collection & Recycling and the Culture & Heritage Museums in providing Environmental Education programs. Education truly is the key to increasing recycling, preventing litter and protecting our environment.

Classroom Presentations

A variety of subjects ranging from water quality, recycling and litter are available for schools.

Environmental Education Liaison Program

A liaison network of over 100 teachers throughout York County is maintained to help keep teachers and students in ALL York County schools informed about the environmental education resources and activities that are available to them.

Community Groups and Other Organizations

Rock Hill Clean & Green's Environmental Educator is also available to speak to community groups and other organizations about environmental subjects, as well as how recycling and litter prevention works in the City of Rock Hill.

Green Steps Program

Rock Hill Clean & Green has partnered with Ebinport Elementary, South Pointe High School, Northwestern High School and the Green Steps Program. Through these projects schools have taken steps toward sustainable environmental programs including recycling, composting and plants in every classroom. For more information see the Green Steps website.

For more information about our Environmental Education Program, or to make a reservation, call 803-329-7027.

Litter is misplaced trash or solid waste. By working with state and other local agencies Rock Hill Clean & Green works very hard to keep the City of Rock Hill clean and litter free. Litter is not only unattractive; it also harms wildlife and can impact the economic development of the City. Read below to find out more about the litter problem in South Carolina and what you can to do help.

State Litter Laws

Littering is a crime punishable by a fine up to $1,000, 30 Days in Jail or Court-required public service. You are breaking the law if you:

• Put or throw any litter, garbage or trash on any public street, alley or other public place in the city, including cigarette butts
• Put or throw any litter, garbage or trash upon the property of another person, corporation or agency
• Deposit household or business trash in a park garbage can or in a can that is for motorists or pedestrians
• Deposit household or business trash at any unapproved disposal site

To report someone littering, call 1-877-7LITTER.

Local Litter Laws

You are breaking the law if you:

• Place outside of any building discarded furniture, refrigerator, stove, water heater or other major appliance; machinery, equipment, junked vehicle or vehicle parts; or mattresses, building materials or any other accumulation of trash except as allowed by city collection
• Sweep or push litter from buildings, property or sidewalks into streets, sidewalks and storm drains (this litter should be picked up and put into household or commercial trash bins.)
• Allow litter to accumulate at fences, wall bases, grassy areas, embankments or other similar collecting points
• Do not keep the curb, gutter or street line free of litter

To report violations, call Public Works at 329-5600.

Sign Laws

You are breaking the law if you:

• Place signs in public rights-of-way unless given permission (posts or signs will be removed by the City at your expense)
• Display a sign which is not a part of the building design
• Attach signs to trees, utility poles or other unapproved outside structures (includes posters, placards or other advertising material)

To report sign violations, call the Development Services Department at 803-329-7080.

50 Ways to Fight Litter in Your Own Backyard

1. DON'T LITTER.
2. Pick up one piece of litter every day.
3. Call Litter Busters Hotline to report litter violations: 1-877-7 LITTER.
4. Quit smoking; until you do, dispose of cigarette butts properly.
5. Pick up litter along your exercise route.
6. Recycle. Recycle. Recycle.
7. Keep a trash bag in the family vehicle and use it.
8. Encourage your local school board or the Department of Education to include new litter lessons that match the state standards as part of the regular classroom.
9. Start a student chapter of PalmettoPride.
10. Volunteer to help the local Keep America Beautiful or other group in your county.
11. Encourage your local law enforcement agency to adopt a full-time "zero tolerance" policy for littering violations.
12. Encourage your legislators to help with local cleanup campaigns and to continue to fund PalmettoPride.
13. Ask local fast-food restaurants to post "PLEASE DON'T LITTER" signs near drive-thru windows.
14. Ask local newspapers, TV and radio stations to call attention to businesses that trash your community.
15. Ask schools to display statistics about how long common materials take to decompose. (This is a great project for students.)
16. Organize a fundraiser to raise money for clean-up supplies.
17. Ask your local schools to post litter laws to help understand that littering is a real crime with real consequences.
18. Cover your truck bed with a tarp; give a tarp to a truck owner you know.
19. Ask local grocers to put anti-litter messages on bags and in stores.
20. Encourage your local law enforcement to organize a "Zero Tolerance for Litter" weekend.
21. Encourage local clubs or civic organizations to take part in cleanups.
22. Encourage political candidates to place campaign signs out of the right-of-way and to collect them when the campaign ends.
23. Encourage your homeowners association or other neighborhood group to adopt a local eyesore as a clean-up, fix-up, beautification project.
24. Put a PalmettoPride bumper sticker on your car; give PalmettoPride bumper stickers to all your friends and neighbors.
25. Write letters to the editor or "Op-Ed" stories for your local newspaper.
26. Make a list of run-down or abandoned buildings and lots in your area and organize a beautification project.
27. Introduce the PalmettoPride Promise program to local elementary schools and urge teachers to get involved.
28. Ask your local PTA/PTO to hold a school fundraiser to support quarterly countywide cleanups.
29. Organize a "Walk for Cleanup and Beautification" in your county.
30. Participate in the Great American Cleanup March through May.
31. Organize or help out with clean-ups after big local events like festivals, street parties and sporting events.
32. Ask a local celebrity to appear in an anti-litter public service announcement.
33. Petition your mayor or town council to declare an official Cleanup Day or Weekend in your area.
34. Report excessive trash or other eyesores to your county litter control officer.
35. Speak to your school PTA/PTO about involving students and parents in community clean-up projects.
36. Ask local newspapers, TV and radio stations to call attention to businesses that trash your community.
37. Ask local fast-food restaurants to post “PLEASE DON’T LITTER” signs near drive-thru windows.
38. Help your children develop a project that would contribute to a cleaner South Carolina.
39. Put a PalmettoPride bumper sticker on your car and give them to friends and neighbors for their cars, too.
40. Contact your county council and request that they fund as many litter control officers as possible.
41. Introduce the PalmettoPride Promise Card program to local elementary schools and urge teachers to get involved.
42. Take the PalmettoPride Promise yourself!
43. Ask your local PTA/PTO to hold a school fundraiser to support quarterly countywide cleanups.
44. Make a donation to PalmettoPride or your local anti-litter group.
45. Organize a “Walk for Cleanup and Beautification” in your county or community.
46. Ask a local celebrity to appear in an anti-litter public service announcement.
47. Ask schools to display statistics about how long common materials take to decompose. (This is a great project for students!)
48. Petition your mayor or town council to declare an Official Cleanup Day or Weekend in your area.
49. Report excessive trash or other eyesores to your county litter control department.
50. DON’T LITTER.