America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced for Fall 2023

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce the 14th 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. This year, students can participate whether they are attending classes virtually or in person.

2023's winner, Juliana’s billboard on Glenwood Avenue which was shown off to residents for months after the contest ended.

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.

 The artwork is easy to design at home because students only need one piece of 8.5” by 11” white paper and coloring tools. This way, parents of middle school students staying at home this semester can have them compete as well.

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

During the 2022 contest, New Hope Middle School 7th grader, Juliana Madrigal, won first place overall. Her design includes the phrase, “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork shows off the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s mascot, Recycling Ben along with a set of drawing of items you can put in your recycling bin such as milk jugs, cardboard boxes, and worksheets. It is a detailed and clear drawing that is designed well for the message to be understandable while quickly driving by.

Themes for this year are, “I Recycle, Do You?” and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the school’s entrants. The grand prize is chosen from each of the first-place winners. All schools that compete will receive free school art supplies.

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, 2022. There is no entry fee, however, an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork. Winners will be announced on October 18. 

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.

America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced for Fall 2021

Competing middle schools will receive free art supplies for their classrooms and one student will have their artwork displayed on two billboards in Whitfield County.

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce the 12th 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. This year, students can participate whether they are attending classes virtually or in person.

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.

 The artwork is easy to design at home because students only need one piece of 8.5” by 11” white paper and coloring tools. This way, parents of middle school students staying at home this semester can have them compete as well.

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 2020 contest, Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Bricia Manzanares, won first place overall. Her design includes the phrase, “Recycle with Recycling Ben” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork bright with a portrait of Dalton Recycling Center’s Recycling Ben. It uses simple, but thoughtful details to encourage us to recycle paper, cardboard, and water bottles to help our planet.

Themes for this year are, “I Recycle. Do You” and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the school’s entrants. The grand prize is chosen from each of the first-place winners. All schools that compete will receive free school art supplies.

The Contest Guide with two versions of the official entry form can be downloaded at www.DWSWA.org. The deadline for entries is October 11, 2021. There is no entry fee, however, an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork. Winners will be announced on October 18. 

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.

2020 America Recycles Billboard Contest Winner Announced

Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Bricia Manzanares, is the overall winner of the 2020 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 (one on Highway 41 and the other on Thornton Avenue) during the month of November to recognize America Recycles Day on November 15th.

Ms. Manzaneres’ design includes the phrase “Recycle with Recycling Ben” as one of the themes of the contest. The artwork features the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority mascot, Recycling Ben alongside our most commonly recycled items, a cardboard box, water bottle, and mail. Every time you drive past it, it can serve as a reminder that it is important for you to recycle your paper and cardboard because every ton recycled saves 17 trees.

The billboard design contest, now in its eleventh year, has 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from each school that submitted entries. The three 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.  

Eastbrook Middle

1)     Bricia Manzanares

2)     Janyce Hernandez

3)     Olivia Pulliam

Christian Heritage

1)     Adelyn Martinez

2)    Maddie Retelle

3)    Alexandria Brewer

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. through its partnership with Keep America Beautiful. It’s celebrated annually on November 15. For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to #BeRecycled visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org. 

Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Art CAN Inspire

One Girl Scout Creates Beautiful Art and Conquers Litter at the Same Time.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful was so honored when Abbie Burt, a local Dalton High School Catamount senior, approached us with her idea for her Girl Scouts Gold Award project to decrease litter and beautify our town. Abbie wanted to tackle litter and create beautiful and colorful art throughout the community at the same time by wrapping trash cans with bright, colorful works of art to draw the eye to where trash is supposed to go.

This form of public art helped bring joy to the community when they passed by whether at Burr Park, Haig Mill Park, or the Mill at Crown Gardens. It’s an unexpected place for public art which is part of what sparks that happiness, but that unexpected place will help make a big difference in the community. Dalton is a watershed which means that every piece of litter you see that doesn’t get picked up ends up as marine debris. By encouraging people to engage with the trash bins, people are more likely to put trash where it goes and less likely to litter. Abbie started working on this back in November, but unfortunately with COVID-19, experienced setbacks and long periods of waiting. We think this project was worth the wait though!

Abbie shared a few words with us about how she came up with this idea, why she cares, and her success;

“I wanted to thank everyone in the community for their interest in my Art CAN Inspire project and for those who have taken the time to make sure to use the decorated cans at The Mill at Crown Gardens, Burr Park, and Haig Mill to decrease litter in our community. I care tremendously about this project because I care about my community and the well-being of this world. In today’s world, people do not know what the future holds when it comes to climate change, decreasing natural resources, and the overflow of trash in the ocean/world. Even though my project will make an unnoticeable change in the world’s statistics, it will make a noticeable change in my community. Change has to start somewhere, and something is better than nothing in terms of litter prevention. My hope is that this project served God and my country because it prevents littering and teaches people about the consequences of littering. ”

Visit Abbie at at.can.inspire on Instagram or Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful on Facebook to see all of the designs.