The bill, H. 5238, is a concurrent resolution from the South Carolina General Assembly that aims to support and encourage efforts to reduce waste generation and enhance recycling initiatives in the state. It highlights the growing population of South Carolina, which has increased by nearly 2% to approximately 5.5 million people, leading to a significant rise in waste disposal needs. The resolution notes that over 13.3 million tons of waste were disposed of in 2024, and warns that without expansion or replacement of the existing landfill capacity, four of the seventeen remaining Class III Municipal Solid Waste landfills could close within the next fifteen years.

To address these challenges, the resolution emphasizes the importance of achieving South Carolina's goals of reducing waste generation to less than 3.25 pounds per person per day and reaching a recycling rate of 50% of municipal solid waste by 2030. It calls for the support of recycling and waste diversion programs as essential strategies to manage waste generation effectively and to meet the state's environmental objectives.