Local Schools Participate in Nationwide School Recycling Contest

(Dalton, GA, February 18, 2015) –  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.  Recycle-Bowl was conducted during the four weeks leading up to America Recycles Day on November 15, 2014. America Recycles Day celebrates the benefits of recycling and provides an educational platform that motivates people to take action to recycle more and recycle smarter, influencing recycling behaviors at work, at home and on the go. 

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 4th annual nationwide competition. The national competition took place concurrently with the local recycling contest.  At the end of the competition period the weights of the recyclables collected at each school were reported to Recycle-Bowl. 

Seventy-six schools in Georgia participated at the state level recycling as much as possible during the weeks of October 15 to November 15, 2014.  At the state level, three local schools placed in the Top 5 in Georgia taking second, third, and fourth place.  A full list of statewide winners can be found at www.Recycle-Bowl.org. The national winner was Magnet Traditional School in Phoenix, Arizona. Below are the top five schools in the state of Georgia for Recycle-Bowl 2014:

Georgia’s Top 5 Recycle-Bowl Competitors:

1. Cumming Elementary, Cumming, GA

2. Learning Tree School, Dalton, GA

3. New Hope Middle School, Dalton, GA

4. Pleasant Grove Elementary, Dalton, GA

5. White Sulphur Elementary, Gainesville GA

Nation-wide nearly 900,000 students and teachers competed in Recycle-Bowl, striving to recycle as much as possible. Recyclables recovered during the 2014 competition totaled 4.4 million pounds, which prevented the release of 7,187 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E). In real-world terms, this reduction in greenhouse gases is equivalent to the annual emissions from 1,409 passenger cars.

“Through a fun and friendly competition, Recycle-Bowl shines a spotlight on school recycling and instills environmental values in our younger generations,” said Jennifer Jehn, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “It’s inspiring to see students across the country becoming so enthusiastic about recycling and conserving our planet’s natural resources. Congratulations to Magnet Traditional School and all of our national and statewide winners.”

2014 Billboard Design Contest Winner Announced

“I want to be recycled” is the overall winner for this year’s America Recycles Day Billboard contest.  The design was created by Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader Reina Paniagua.

Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Reina Paniagua, is the overall winner of the 2014 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 162 entries includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” which was one of the themes of the contest.  The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with a group of recyclable materials shouting out their desire to be recycled in a blue speech bubble.  

The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in the Whitfield County area for at least one month.  This is the fifth 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.

Eastbrook Middle School students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork. Top Row, Left to Right: Graviela Zamora, Citlally Garcia, Angela Torres, and Reina Paniagua. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Luis DeLeon, and Moises Gaspar.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Angela Torres, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Yanira Guzman, Dalton Middle School
• 3rd Place – Leonardo Fraire, Dalton Middle School 

7th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Reina Paniagua, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Graviela Zamora, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Citlally Garcia, Eastbrook Middle School 

Dalton Middle School students that placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork.  From Left to Right: Leonardo Fraire, Yanira Guzman, and Alondra Martinez.

8th grade:

• 1st Place – Luis DeLeon, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Moises Gaspar, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Alondra Martinez, 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 www.dwswa.org. 

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful Earns President’s Circle Award for 2013

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful was the recipient of the President’s Circle Award issued by Keep America Beautiful for it’s efforts in 2013. Board members pictured include: Phillip Pfeifer, John Paul Bledsoe, Anthony Cline, Patricia Edwards, and Liz Swafford.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful received Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle Award during Keep America Beautiful’s 2014 National Conference, which recently took place in Charlotte, N.C. The President’s Circle Award recognizes exemplary performance made by certified affiliates of the national nonprofit in building and sustaining vibrant communities.

 In qualifying for a President’s Circle Award, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful has met Keep America Beautiful’s standards of merit by conducting an annual Community Appearance Index, calculating the affiliate’s cost/benefit ratio, and administering activities in the areas of litter prevention, recycling and waste reduction, and beautification and community greening.

“One of Keep America Beautiful’s most effective tools is the work of our grassroots network of affiliate organizations, which has an impact on millions of Americans each year,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer Jehn. “Our affiliates are providing real solutions to local problems caused by litter, graffiti, illegal dumping and other community blight by engaging volunteers of all ages in its effort to create a vibrant community.”

During 2013 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful held or helped facilitate several events including Christmas Tree Recycling Day, Bulky Waste Roundup, Adopt-a-Mile cleanups, educational sessions for children and adults, Compost Awareness Week, Ecumenical Earth Day, Conasauga Watershed Cleanup, the Eek-O-Friendly Costume Swap, and Community Planting Day.

“I want to thank the Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful board members and volunteers for participating in so many activities throughout the year that make our community a beautiful place to live.” said Executive Director of KDWB, Liz Swafford.  “There’s still room for us to grow and we’re looking for board members and volunteers to join us and make a positive impact in 2014.”  Visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org to register for the KDWB newsletter or call 706-278-5001 to find out how you can participate.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With a strong national network of 1,200 affiliates and partners including state recycling organizations, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities. Keep America Beautiful offers programs and engages in public-private partnerships that help create clean, beautiful public places, reduce waste and increase recycling while educating generations of environmental stewards. Through our actions, we help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound. For more information, visit kab.org.

Former Operations Manager, Harvey Levitt, Receives Award

Harvey Levitt (center) receives the Professional Achievement Award for the Public Sector at a recent conference from representatives from the Solid Waste Association of North America. 

              Harvey Levitt, former Operations Manager at the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority (DWSWA), Dalton, GA, was recently awarded the “Professional Achievement Award-Public Sector” by the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Given annually, this award recognizes SWANA Members for valuable and distinguished contributions to the Association, the individual’s employing organization and the general public. The length of continuous contributions and services by the individual is a consideration in the selection.

            Nominated by the Georgia Chapter of SWANA, Mr. Levitt has more than 25 years of experience in solid waste management in both the private and the public sector. He served for 18 years at DWSWA, overseeing a very successful solid waste management program, before retiring in December 2012.          “Harvey’s recognition is well deserved,” remarked Norman Barashick, Executive Director of the DWSWA.  “Harvey has worked tirelessly over the years to improve recycling access at the local level and to improve professional education access on the state level.”

            Harvey is a certified landfill operator in Georgia, and has participated for 20 years in the Georgia Landfill Operator Certification Training program as lead moderator and teacher. He served for 14 years as the Georgia Chapter’s treasurer, has participated in multiple committees, and continues to sit on the board of directors.

            For more information, contact SWANA at 1-800-467-9262 or SWANA-Georgia Chapter at 770-822-9309. Or visit www.swana.org or www.gaswana.org.

Elizabeth Swafford Earns ATEEG Distinction

Elizabeth Swafford has been certified as an Environmental Educator thru the nationally accredited professional development program Advanced Training for Environmental Education in Georgia.

(Dalton, GA, October 27, 2013) –  Elizabeth Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Executive Director of Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, has earned the distinction of Certified Environmental Educator.  After completing a rigorous two and a half year study she received one of the first certifications for ATEEG, Advanced Training for Environmental Education in Georgia.  This professional certification program is offered by the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia.

Swafford was recognized at the 2013 Environmental Education Alliance’s Annual Conference in March along with other educators who successfully completed the program, which is nationally accredited by the North American Association for Environmental Education.  The ATEEG certification required 30 hours of specialization workshops, completing three core courses, and an independent study project.  The courses focused on the foundations of environmental education, fostering learning, and assessment and evaluation.

This certification is of benefit to educators in the state who want to be recognized as a leader in the field of environmental education and gain credibility for the profession that is reflected in various career paths.  Educators can range from those in formal settings, such as a science teacher in a public school, to those working in non-formal educational settings like a nature center.  Swafford is a non-formal educator who teaches local students about recycling, the landfill, and other environmental topics through her work at the DWSWA and KDWB.

Swafford’s independent study project, Recycling Ben’s Sidekick Training, was designed to train third graders to become recycling superheroes.  During the special 4 hour program students made upcycled name tags, toured the landfill and recycling center in Whitfield County, made an edible model of a landfill, completed a recycling relay race, and met mascot Recycling Ben.  The project included all aspects of the ATEEG program, including components for assessment and evaluation. The special training is now part of the regular educational opportunities offered at the facility.