Local Schools Participate in Nationwide School Recycling Contest

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, has announced the winners of “Recycle-Bowl”, the first comprehensive nationwide recycling competition for elementary-, middle- and high-school students.  65 schools in Georgia participated at the state level recycling as much as possible during the weeks of October 15 to November 15, 2013.   At the state level, two local schools placed in the Top 5 in Georgia taking second, and third place.

Public and private schools in Whitfield County currently participate in Target Recycling at School, a free recycling collection service offered by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority.  With the assistance of the DWSWA’s recycling center, 36 local schools were registered for the 3rd annual nationwide competition.  Each school received a kit to help promote recycling in their school with posters and educational activities. 

At the end of the competition period the weights of the recyclables collected at each school were reported to Recycle-Bowl staff.  The national winner was Foothill Elementary School in Pittsburg, California.  A full list of statewide winners can be found at www.Recycle-Bowl.org.  Below are the top five schools in the state of Georgia for Recycle-Bowl 2013:

Georgia’s Top 5 Recycle-Bowl Competitors:

1. Cass Middle School, Cartersville, GA

2. New Hope Middle School, Dalton, GA

3. Pleasant Grove Elementary, Dalton, GA

4. Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School, Scottdate, GA

5. Brighten Academy, Douglasville, GA

The total amount of school only recyclables recovered nationwide during the 2013 competition added up to 6.4 million pounds, which in turn prevented the release of nearly 8,913 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCE). In real-world terms, this reduction in greenhouse gases is equivalent to the annual emissions from 473 passenger cars.

 “Inspiring young people to recycle at school reinforces the importance of recycling everywhere, whether at home or on the go,” said Jennifer Jehn, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “We are also pleased that so many schools use the competition to improve existing recycling programs or develop new ones that didn’t exist prior to their participation.”

Live Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event January 4, 2014

Christmas trees will be collected at The Home Depot in Dalton along with electronics during Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s annual treecycling event.  The next event will be on Saturday, January 4, 2014 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. 

Residents are invited to start their new year fresh by recycling their live Christmas tree and dropping off used electronic devices for recycling at the community’s annual “treecycling” event. On Saturday, January 4, 2014 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees, and electronic devices for recycling.  The annual collection event will be held from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at The Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton. 

Residents may drop-off their Christmas trees for free.  Trees must be free of ornaments, nails, hooks, wire, tinsel, lights, and other decorations.  Only natural, live, real trees will be accepted – no artificial trees please.  Trees will be recycled on site into mulch that will be used for beautification projects throughout Whitfield County. 

Used electronics accepted include computers, digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, gaming systems and components, mp3 players, scanners, and laptops.  There is a fee of $5.00 per item for the proper recycling of television sets, and computer monitors.  All other electronics can be dropped off for free. Electronics will be processed by Reworx Recycling, which is part of the Tommy Nobis’ Foundation program NobisWorks.

Please remember to secure your load for cleaner roads.  Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck, trailer, or on the roof of a vehicle.

Those unable to participate the day of the event may use one of the following options to properly dispose of their holiday items.

1.) The City of Dalton Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees from the curb for city residents that have garbage collection service through the city.  City residents should call 706-278-7077 to request pick-up.  Yard debris is regularly picked up throughout the year every other week.

2.) The four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have drop-off areas for yard debris that is recycled year round.  These include the McGaughey Chapel, M.L.King Blvd., Westside, and the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center. 

3.) Electronics are collected for recycling year round at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center.   For hours of operation and directions to any of the four Convenience Centers visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful would like to thank the following organizations for making this event possible: Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Reworx Recycling, Whitfield County Public Works Department, and The Home Depot in Dalton.  For more details about the event visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org or call 706-278-5001.

Click here to download the event flyer. 

2013 Billboard Design Contest Winner Announced

“I Recycle. Do You?” is the overall winner for this year’s America Recycles Day Billboard contest.  The design was created by Dalton Middle School 7th grader Larissa Hernandez.

(Dalton, GA, November 19, 2013) –  Dalton Middle School 7th grader, Larissa Hernandez, is the overall winner of the 2013 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. 

The design chosen out of 265 entries includes the phrase, “I Recycle. Do You?” which was one of the themes of the contest.  The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with multicolored blocks of letters, and a recycling symbol.

The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in the Whitfield County area for at least one month.  This is the fourth year of the design contest open to Whitfield County middle school students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade attending either a public or private school that recycles with Target Recycling at School.

The billboard design contest had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level.  The nine students, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials.  The first place overall was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Alexis Lynch, Dalton Middle School
• 2nd Place – Nubia Loya, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Jenny Jimenez, Eastbrook Middle School 

7th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Larissa Hernandez, Dalton Middle School
• 2nd Place – Laisha Rubio, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Gisselle Cisneros, Dalton Middle School 

8th grade:

• 1st Place – Mackenzie McDermott, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Angelina Calderon, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Elena Leyssens, Dalton Middle School

America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment, and action in the U.S. thru its partnership with Keep America Beautiful.  For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

Target Recycling at School provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County.  For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit the Environmental Education page.

Correction:  Ms. McDermott was incorrectly listed in the 8th grade category.  However, since prizes have been given and results announced, there will be no changes in the winners for this year.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Dalton Middle School students that placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork.  From Left to Right: Alexis Lynch, Elena Leyssens, Gisselle Cisneros, and Larissa Hernandez. 

Eastbrook Middle School students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork.  From Left to Right: Mackenzie McDermott, Laisha Rubio, Jenny Jimenez, Nubia Loya, and Angelina Calderon.

4th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced

The 4th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest is underway.  Pictured is the winning design of 2012 designed by Brisa Mandujano, an 8th grader from Eastbrook Middle School.

Middle Schoolers Invited to Participate

(Dalton, GA, October 2, 2013) –  The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce it’s 4th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that attend either public or private schools participating in the Target Recycling at School program in Whitfield County.  Students are invited to design a billboard in keeping with the spirit of America Recycles Day, which is celebrated yearly on November 15.  The top design out of the three grade levels will be displayed for four weeks on two billboards.

During the 2012 contest, Eastbrook Middle School 8th grader, Brisa Mandujano, won first place overall.  Her artwork, chosen out of 193 entries includes the phrase, “Recycle, it’s the natural thing to do” which was the theme for America Recycles Day 2011.  It features a group of students passing recyclable items, like bottles and cans, to each other and placing them in a green recycling bin.   

Themes for this year include, “Let’s Target Recycling Together”, “I Recycle. Do You?”, and “Recycle, it’s the natural thing to do.”  First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the three grade levels.  The grand prize is chosen from the three first place winners.  

Click here to download the Contest Guide with an entry form.  Deadline for entries is Wednesday, November 6, 2013.  There is no entry fee, however an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork.  Only artwork submitted directly from a school representative will be accepted.  Winners will be announced on Thursday, November 14. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org.  To learn more about America Recycles Day visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

Bulky Waste Round Up! this Saturday, April 20

Banner at one of the participating schools announcing Bulky Waste Round Up 2013.

Annual Bulky Waste and Electronics Collection Day for Whitfield County

The 2013 Bulky Waste Round Up is scheduled for this Saturday, April 20, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm at four drop-off locations in Whitfield County. During the event Whitfield county residents may properly dispose of or recycle bulky waste without paying transportation fees. The main location is the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill and Convenience Center at 4189 Old Dixie Hwy. S.E., in Dalton. Additional locations are the parking lots for Westside Middle School, the old Eastbrook Middle School building, and North Whitfield Middle School.

Bulky waste refers to items that are too big for a typical household garbage can, like furniture and appliances. Each of the four drop-off locations will be accepting bulky waste, and small amounts of home remodeling debris for proper disposal. Scrap metal, and electronics will also be collected for recycling. Electronics include items like computers, digital cameras, cell phones, printers, scanners, and laptops. There is a limit of one television accepted per vehicle.

The Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center is the only location accepting Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) that includes items such as household pesticides, swimming pool chemicals, varnish and latex paints. For a complete list of HHW please visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

The Bulky Waste Round Up is for residents of Whitfield County, and only residential or household waste will be accepted. Tires are not included in this event and should be disposed of at a Convenience Center for a minimal fee. For questions about a particular item call 706-278-5001.

If you are unable to attend the event this year, please note that Household Hazardous Waste is accepted at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill and Convenience Center on the third Saturday of every month from 7 am to 2 pm. Electronics, scrap metal, and bulky waste are accepted year round for no charge at the same location, Monday thru Friday 7 am to 6 pm, and Saturday 7 am to 3 pm.

No matter what you need to drop-off or when, don't forget to secure your load for cleaner roads. Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck or trailer.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Whitfield County Public Works organize this annual event. For more information or to volunteer, call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-226-6211, visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org, or e-mail lswafford@dwswa.org.