Whirlin Waters Introduces Composting
[NORTH CHARLESTON] -- This summer, visitors to Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark will notice a wonderful change – the park’s food concessions waste is now being composted!
Throughout this past winter, Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission and waterpark staff worked with Charleston County Environmental Management recycling and composting experts to assess serving ware at the park’s Calypso Kitchen. Straws, forks, napkins, and other products were switched to those made of “compostable” materials. As a result, beginning this waterpark season, all of the food waste and nearly all of the serving ware waste produced at the waterpark will be collected and taken to the Bee’s Ferry composting site by Food Waste Disposal, LLC.
There, the food and other compostables will break down into a nutrient-rich soil additive. A portion of this additive will be returned to Wannamaker County Park to be used in the Whirlin’ Waters landscaping and other plant beds around the park.
Visitors to Whirlin’ Waters are encouraged to play a part in this process by dumping all food waste (even meat) and any food containers, except bottles, into Calypso Kitchen bins marked “compost.” Trash cans are still available for non-compostable food waste. Bottles should be recycled in on-site bins.
The act of composting helps to reduce the amount of food entering landfills, and upon the foods’ break down, also produces the valuable, nutrient-rich soil that will be returned to nourish the park’s plants.
“Not only does this help the environment by reclaiming a valuable resource that would otherwise be treated like trash, it also lengthens the landfill’s ‘lifespan,’” said CCPRC’s Stewardship Manager Mark Madden. “In twenty years, the next generation may rest in the shade of a tree that today’s Whirlin’ Waters visitors helped grow through composting.”
Whirlin’ Waters’ composting effort is one of many ways in which the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) is striving to institute eco-friendly programs throughout its park system. Recycling is encouraged throughout its facilities and is also available, in addition to composting, at many CCPRC events. Park visitors are also invited to sign the agency’s “Stewardship Pledge,” an initiative that encourages patrons to follow several additional environmentally-friendly steps while at the parks and other green spaces. The pledge is available at www.ccprc.com/pledge.
Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark is located in North Charleston at Wannamaker County Park. The largest waterpark in the Charleston area, Whirlin’ Waters features unique water activities for all ages. Trained lifeguards are on staff to provide a safe experience. Waterpark hours of operation are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and the park is open for daily operation starting May 28 and running through August. CCPRC also operates two other waterparks in the county – Splash Zone on James Island and Splash Island in Mount Pleasant.
