America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced for Fall 2018

2017's winner, Lily Woodring's Colorful and detailed billboard. 

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce the 9th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders attending 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 during the month of November on two billboards in Whitfield County.

Schools in Whitfield County eligible to participate include Eastbrook Middle, New Hope Middle, North Whitfield Middle, Valley Point Middle, Westside Middle, Dalton Middle, Northstar School, Crossroads Academy, Christian Heritage School, and Learning Tree School.

During the 2017 contest, Valley Point Middle School 7th grader, Lily Woodring, won first place overall. Her design includes the phrase, “I recycle! Do you?” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is detailed, neat, and very colorful showing recyclables holding hands around the planet.

(See previous winning billboard designs here.)

Themes for this year are, “I want to be recycled!” and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” 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. 

The Contest Guide with two versions of the official entry form can be downloaded at www.DWSWA.org. The deadline for entries is October 16, 2017. 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 October 23. 

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

Magic of Recycling at Local Schools

The garbage monster makes a surprise appearance in the trash can held by magician Greg Allen during a special performance of the Magic of Recycling show at Pleasant Grove Elementary School on Friday, November 11.

Students look on as a rolled-up newspaper magically transforms back into a tree during the Magic of Recycling show with magician Greg Allen. The program was hosted at Pleasant Grove Elementary and six other local schools during the week of November 7.

Students enjoy a magical learning experience

(Dalton, GA, November 21, 2016) – During the week of November 7 students from seven elementary schools hosted professional magician Greg Allen for a special performance of the “Magic of Recycling”. The educational magic show brings the concept of recycling and landfills to life during an interactive 40-minute program that includes magic tricks and audience participation.

The program was sponsored by Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s recycling committee and the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s recycling center in honor of America Recycles Day which is celebrated on November 15. During the month of November you can take the pledge to recycle and learn more about recycling online at www.americarecyclesday.org.

Antioch, Cedar Ridge, Brookwood, Pleasant Grove, Dawnville, Westwood, and Dug Gap Elementary school hosted either one or two performances for students from Kinder to 5th grade for a total of 12 shows. Local schools currently recycle mixed paper, cardboard, and select beverage containers with the Authority’s recycling collection program Target Recycling at School.

Recycling was shown as a way to use things again and again conserving natural resources, and saving landfill space in the process. During the program students saw a glass bottle transform into a new glass bottle, witnessed a telephone book be recycled into a new one, and more. Students enjoyed watching the show while learning about the transformative power of recycling.

Billboard Design Winner for 2016 Contest Announced

The winning billboard design by Madison Powell will be placed at two locations in Whitfield County during the month of November in celebration of America Recycles Day.

Valley Point Middle School 8th graders placed in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Madison Powell, 1st place and 1st place overall; Eliezer Vasquez, 2nd place.

Pictured are students from Eastbrook Middle who each placed 3rd in their grade level in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Jazmine Ayabar, 6th grade; Melissa Trujillo, 7th grade; Elena Cabero, 8th grade. 

Valley Point Middle School 7th graders placed in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Camy Rettew, 1st place; Dania Cristobal, 2nd place. 

Valley Point Middle School 6th graders placed in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Macey Cook, 2nd place; Lily Woodring, 1st place. 

Valley Point Middle School 8th grader, Madison Powell, is the overall winner of the 2016 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in Whitfield County along Glenwood Ave. during the month of November.

Ms. Powell’s design, which was chosen out of 91 entries, includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” one of the themes of the contest. The artwork shows an aluminum beverage can dreaming about being recycled into a space ship or rocket. Materials that are recycled are used to manufacture a variety of products. Aluminum for example may be recycled into beverage cans, construction materials, or parts for new vehicles.   

The billboard design contest, now in its seventh year, has a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level which includes 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. The nine winners, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials. The first place overall, who is the winner of the billboard, was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Lily Woodring, Valley Point Middle School
• 2nd Place – Macey Cook, Valley Point Middle School
• 3rd Place – Jazmine Ayabar, Eastbrook Middle School

7th grade:

• 1st Place – Camy Rettew, Valley Point Middle School
• 2nd Place – Dania Cristobal, Valley Point Middle School
• 3rd Place – Melissa Trujillo, Valley Point Middle School 

8th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Madison Powell, Valley Point Middle School
• 2nd Place – Eliezer Vasquez, Valley Point Middle School
• 3rd Place – Elena Cabero, Eastbrook Middle School

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.

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. It’s celebrated annually on November 15. For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

Live Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event on January 9, 2016

Whitfield County Public Works staff prepare to mulch live Christmas trees during Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s annual treecycling event.  The next event will be on Saturday, January 9 from 8 am to 1 pm. 

Whitfield County residents are invited drop off live, natural Christmas trees and used electronic devices for recycling at the community’s annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling event. Visitors to the event will receive a packet of herb or vegetable seeds to plant at home or another promotional item as a thank you for participating.

On Saturday, January 9, 2016 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees, and electronic devices from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm at The Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton.

There is no charge for dropping off live, natural Christmas tress. 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. 

Please note that there is a $5.00 fee for CRT (cathode ray tube) television sets and computer monitors. However, other electronics can be dropped off for free. These devices include computer consoles, digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, gaming systems and components, mp3 players, scanners, flat screens, eBook readers, tablets, and laptops.

Join and share the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1631276870458795/

Before going to the event secure your load for cleaner and safer 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.

If you are unable to attend there are several options available year round for recycling Christmas trees and electronic devices.  

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 only 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, 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.

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.”