Curbside Recycling Program Recognition Scheduled For March 19

The City of Dalton Curbside Recycling program accepts a variety of products for recycling.  They include paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, bi-metal cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastic bottles and jugs.

(Dalton, GA, March 7, 2012) - The City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program will be recognized for it’s 2011 recycling efforts on March 19 at 6:00 pm at Dalton City Hall during the regularly scheduled City Council Meeting.  In 2011 residents participating in the Curbside Recycling program collected 2,532,120 lbs. of recyclables, a 14% increase over recycling in 2010.

Residents are invited to attend the special presentation and learn more about this local recycling program.  Representatives from the recycling center will be available to answer questions and distribute free recycled pens and other items from America Recycles Day.  For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit www.DWSWA.org. 

Over 2,294,200 Lbs. Recycled This Year

A load of mixed paper is dropped off at the Recycling Center by a City of Dalton Curbside Recycling truck.  Mixed paper is recycled to make a variety of goods that range from restaurant napkins to paperboard boxes for pre-packaged food.

City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program Nears Goal of 1,200 Tons

DALTON, GA – According to the Curbside Recycling Report produced by the Dalton-Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Authority, during the months of January to November 2011 residents participating in the City of Dalton’s Curbside Recycling Program collected 1,147.1 tons or 2,294,200 pounds of recyclables.  It’s 312,000 pounds more than they had collected during the same period last year, producing an overall 15% increase in recycling compared to 2010.

Public Works Director, Benny Dunn, said, “Dalton residents are doing an outstanding job.  Thanks for recycling, and please remember to encourage your neighbors to recycle.  You truly can make a difference.”  During the month of December residents are expected to easily reach the goal of collecting 1,200 tons or 2,400,000 pounds of recyclables for the year.

Residents of the City of Dalton in single-family homes of three units or less that have garbage pickup through the city qualify for Curbside Recycling service.  Recyclables are collected in blue 18-gallon recycling bins and picked up weekly on the same day as household garbage.  For more information, such as recycling instructions, visit the City of Dalton’s website, www.cityofdalton-ga.gov, click ‘Departments’ then ‘Public Works’.  If you need a Recycling Bin or a Recycling Bin Instructions Sticker, call the Public Works Department at 706-278-7077.

Items collected for recycling in the city include plastic bottles and jugs, glass bottles and jars, aluminum beverage cans, bi-metal cans, cardboard, newspaper, and other mixed paper.  Recyclables are collected by the Public Works Department, and then delivered to the Solid Waste Authority's Recycling Center for processing.  Recycling takes a product at the end of its useful life and uses all or part of it to make a new product.  Benefits of recycling include conserving natural resources and saving energy during the manufacturing process. For example, five plastic #1 (PET) bottles, such as water and soda bottles, yield enough fiber to make one extra large T-shirt, one square foot of carpet, or enough fiber to fill one ski jacket.

You Can Now Recycle ‘All Plastic Bottles’

DALTON, GA - Recycling just got easier in Whitfield County! Residents can now recycle all plastic bottles and jugs thru one of the recycling venues available in Whitfield County like the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program, and all Convenience Center locations.

“We have moved away from telling residents to recycle plastic bottles and jugs with the #1 or #2 recycling symbol.  The recycling symbol numbers are plastic resin identification codes that are used on a wide range of plastic products like cups, trays, tubs, and plastic bags.  Looking for the small numbers is time consuming, and confusing.”  explained Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Coordinator at the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority.   “In order to simplify the identification of recyclables, residents are encouraged to recycle all plastic bottles and jugs.  If a plastic container has a neck smaller than the base it’s a bottle that should go in the recycling bin.  This means that laundry detergent bottles, soda bottles, milk jugs, cleaning solution bottles and more can be recycled.”

There are a large variety of recyclable plastic bottles and jugs found in every room of the home.  For example, plastic jugs and bottles for soda, milk, water, juice, syrup, ketchup, cooking oil, peanut butter, and other condiments.  Cleaning solutions like liquid dish detergent, liquid laundry detergent, bleach, liquid fabric softener, window cleaner, bathroom, and kitchen cleaners.  Personal items like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, mouthwash, and lotion.  And finally, individual beverage containers for soft drinks, water, tea, and sports drinks.

Another indicator that a bottle or jug is recyclable is the thread on the neck that allow for a cap to be screwed on.   A margarine tub or yogurt cup do not qualify for recycling since they have a wide mouth opening larger than the base.  Plastic bags, plastic food trays, drinking cups, plastic utensils, motor oil and pesticide bottles and jugs are also not collected for recycling in Whitfield County.  It’s recommended to rinse out plastic bottles to remove food residue and crush to save space.  It’s ok to leave the labels and caps on the containers.

Recycling takes a product at the end of its useful life and uses part or that entire product to make new ones.  As a result, recycling just one container can save energy, water, and other natural resources.  According to NAPCOR, the National Association for PET Container Resources, it takes nineteen 20 oz. plastic bottles to yield enough fiber to make one extra large T-shirt, or one square foot of carpet.

Click here to watch the “All Plastic Bottles” video and download the information sheet.  Or for more details call the Dalton-Whitfield Recycling Center at 706-278-5001.

City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Increases in 2010

DALTON, GA - During 2010 the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling program increased the amount of materials collected for recycling in by 8% compared to 2009. Participating Dalton residents collected 1,088 tons or 2,175,800 pounds from January to December 2010 making it the largest amount collected on record. In fact, it was the second year in a row that over 2 million pounds of recyclables were collected through the Curbside Recycling program. Items accepted for recycling include mixed paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and jugs with the #1 and #2 recycling symbol, aluminum beverage cans, bi-metal food cans, and glass bottles and jars.

On Monday, February 21, 2011, during the City Council meeting at City Hall representatives from the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority (DWSWA) recognized City of Dalton residents and the City of Dalton Public Works Department for their outstanding results. “Recycling reduces waste and pollution, saves energy, conserves our natural resources, and is good for our economy.” said Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator for the DWSWA. “One third of plastic bottles with the #1 recycling symbol collected in the US are used in Georgia carpet manufacturing. Fibers created from plastic #1 can be used to make clothing and other items like these shoelaces, which read, ‘I used to be a soda bottle’.” Target Recycling program mascot Recycling Ben distributed the recycled shoelaces to the attendees during the presentation.

Norman Barashick, Executive Director of the DWSWA, presented two awards made with recycled blue glass. Mayor Pennington and Councilwoman Wood accepted the award on behalf of the residents. Public Works Director, Benny Dunn, Operations Manager, Reece Carroll, and Foreman, Tim Cruse accepted the award on behalf of the Public Works Department. The drivers of the Curbside recycling trucks, Dwayne Carvelle, Glen Gambrell, and Derek Bagley, were also recognized for being the ones that get the job done on a daily basis. It’s estimate that together they handle more than 4,000 recycling bins per week.

The City of Dalton’s Curbside Recycling program began in 1991. 2010 marked 19 years of environmental stewardship thru recycling. Today, the City of Dalton provides one of the few curbside recycling programs in Northwest Georgia. In 2003 the Curbside Recycling program began delivering its recyclable materials for processing to the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. The Authority operates a Materials Recovery Facility or recycling center which sorts, processes, and markets the materials. Since that time, the amount of recyclables collected by residents has almost doubled.

If you live in a single family home or duplex of three units or less with in the city limits you may qualify for Curbside Recycling. Call the Public Works Department at 706-278-7077 to participate or to request an additional blue recycling bin. If you have more than one bin, please put the fiber materials, such as paper, cardboard, and newspaper, in one bin and everything else in the other.

For more information about recycling in Whitfield County visit www.DWSWA.org or contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001.

Dalton’s Recycling Goal in Sight

City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program Nears Recycling Goal of 1,200 Tons

DALTON, GA - The goal of recycling 1,200 tons or 2,400,000 pounds of recyclable products during 2010 is in sight for the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program. According to the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Report produced by the Dalton-Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Authority (DWSWA), during the months of January to October residents collected 905.3 tons or 1,810,600 pounds of recyclables. However, 294.7 tons or 589,400 pounds of recyclables still need to be collected during November, and December to reach the 2010 recycling goal. 
City residents are encouraged to be informed and make sure they are recycling everything they can. How-To Recycle Videos are available online through the City of Dalton’s website, www.cityofdalton-ga.gov, click ‘Departments’ then ‘Public Works’. The series of short videos, produced in conjunction with the DWSWA, explains each category of recyclables, shows sample items, and details how to prepare them for the recycling bin. Also online is the Recycling Instructions page that lists the types of products that are accepted in the curbside program. The blue recycling bins used in the City of Dalton include a Recycling Bin Instructions Sticker with the same information. 

Residents of the City of Dalton in single-family homes qualify for Curbside Recycling service. Recyclables are collected in blue 18-gallon recycling bins and picked up weekly on the same day as household garbage. For a more information visit the City of Dalton’s website, www.cityofdalton-ga.gov, click ‘Departments’ then ‘Public Works’. If you need a Recycling Bin or a Recycling Bin Instructions Sticker, call the Public Works Department at 706-278-7077.

Products collected for recycling include paper, magazines, newspaper, cardboard, plastic bottles and jugs with the #1 or #2 recycling symbol, aluminum cans, bi-metal or tin cans, and glass bottles and jars that are clear, brown, green or blue. Recycling takes a product at the end of its useful life and uses all or part of it to make a new product. The numerous benefits of recycling include conserving natural resources and saving energy during the manufacturing process. For example, five plastic #1 (PET) bottles, such as water and soda bottles, yield enough fiber to make one extra large T-shirt, one square foot of carpet, or enough fiber to fill one ski jacket. 

Residents of Whitfield County living outside of the City of Dalton also have opportunities to recycle. All four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have Recycling Drop-off Areas that collect the same products as the Curbside Recycling program. For locations, hours and directions visit www.dwswa.org. For more information about recycling contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail:lswafford@dwswa.org.