South Carolina Litter Control Association

06/06/2026

June 6th marks the annual Day, dedicated to raising awareness around vehicle safety to keep our roads safe and litter-free! 🚛

Operating a vehicle without properly securing its load is not only dangerous and illegal — it also increases the amount of litter found on South Carolina roadways and carries fines of up to $300.

Don't risk it! Secure your load before you hit the road. 🛑

06/02/2026

Funding available for litter prevention and pickup!💰

PalmettoPride's 2026 grant cycle is now underway, with funding opportunities available to help communities across South Carolina prevent litter, clean up public spaces, strengthen enforcement efforts, and invest in beautification projects.

Last year, PalmettoPride awarded more than $500,000 through our grant programs, helping local partners make change in communities across the state.

Applications are now open for:
- Enforcement Grants (June 1–July 1)
- Litter Crew Grants (June 1–August 1)

Coming soon:
- Tree Grants (August 1–September 15)
- KSCB Affiliate Grants (September 1–November 1)

Eligible applicants include law enforcement agencies, local governments, Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliates, and nonprofit organizations.

If you have a project that supports a more beautiful South Carolina, we'd love to hear about it! ➡️ Learn more and apply: palmettopride.org/grants.

06/01/2026

PalmettoPride is working together for a litter-free South Carolina. It was created by the South Carolina legislature to fight litter and keep our state clean, green and beautiful.

05/28/2026

🗓️ SAVE THE DATE 🗓️

The South Carolina Litter Summit is back September 9–11, 2026. Every year, the Litter Summit brings together the people doing the work to keep South Carolina clean: local leaders, educators, enforcement officers, nonprofits, volunteers, affiliates, businesses, and changemakers from across the state.

If litter prevention, community impact, beautification, sustainability, or environmental leadership matters to you, mark your calendar now! Registration coming soon.

04/28/2026

Our neighbors in Georgia are in our thoughts as they respond to devastating wildfires. Governor Brian Kemp reported the fires began when a balloon contacted a power line — a sobering reminder that released balloons can have consequences far beyond where they land.

Last week, the South Carolina House passed H.3047 in a 92–17 bipartisan vote, and it now heads to the Senate for a first reading. The bill would classify intentional and organized balloon releases as litter, discouraging mass releases that often become pollution in waterways, farms, roadsides, and wildlife habitat.

It’s a practical step South Carolina can take right now to address a preventable problem. But time is short.

The legislative session ends May 14, and H.3047 needs to move quickly through the Senate to reach the Governor’s desk. If it doesn’t advance before the session ends, the bill dies. We need your voice right now. Contact your SC state senator and urge them to move H.3047 forward without delay. Find your Senator through the link in the comments.

04/15/2026

03/31/2026

Taking a short break from SC Sweep updates to share some exciting news about H. 3047! 🎈

The Criminal Laws Subcommittee (under the House Judiciary Committee) will meet this Thursday, April 2, to consider H. 3047 along with several other bills on the agenda. The meeting is open to the public, though it is expected to be brief and the agenda may shift depending on priorities. Representatives from PalmettoPride and the SC Forestry Commission will be present to speak in support of the bill.

As a reminder, H. 3047 would classify intentional and organized balloon releases as littering. This is common-sense legislation aimed at reducing litter and protecting South Carolina's natural environments.

We want to be clear — y’all helped make this happen 👏 Your voices are being heard, and it’s clear our leaders recognize this as a priority. The hope is that this meeting will push the House Judiciary Committee to move the bill forward to the House floor for a vote before the process begins again in the Senate. We need to keep the momentum going!

How you can help:

🎈Submit written testimony in support of H. 3047 by emailing [email protected]. Written testimony can be as simple as sharing your thoughts, support, or perspective in an email. You do not need to attend or speak at the meeting. Your message will become part of the official record and will be reviewed by members of the subcommittee as they consider the bill. 💬
🎈Continue contacting your representatives to share your support for the bill.
🎈Help spread the word within your networks to build support.

Questions? Contact [email protected].

03/11/2026

🎈 We’ve received an overwhelming amount of support for H. 3047, and we truly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to learn more and speak up. We know some of you may feel like you’ve been hearing about it a lot, but we want to clear up a few important points:

1. Calling H. 3047 a ban isn't quite accurate. It does not create a new prohibition. The bill simply clarifies that intentionally releasing balloons is considered littering under South Carolina law. Littering is already illegal, with fines ranging from $25 to $1,000.

2. Balloon releases already meet the definition of littering. The difference is that current law does not explicitly mention balloons. H. 3047 would make that clear in statute.

3. The focus is on large-scale, organized releases. Some events center around releasing dozens or even hundreds of balloons at once. These large releases are the ones most likely to create significant litter and environmental harm.

4. This bill is not about telling people how to celebrate or grieve. We understand that balloon releases are often meant to honor or remember someone special. Our goal is to encourage meaningful alternatives that don’t create litter or harm wildlife — such as planting a tree, lighting candles, sharing memories, or organizing a community service project in someone’s honor.

5. We are not in the business of shaming people. Balloon releases are almost never intended to be harmful or malicious. However, once released, those balloons do come back down — often as litter that can harm wildlife and natural spaces. Our goal is simply to raise awareness and encourage better choices moving forward.

The goal of this bill is simple: prevent unnecessary litter before it happens. That's it. We want to thank Rep. Patrick Haddon for co-sponsoring H. 3047 last week! This is a great sign that momentum is growing and lawmakers are taking notice.

➡️ Contact the House Judiciary Committee at [email protected] or reach out to your representative and voice your support.