Billboard Design Contest for Middle School Students Underway

2011 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest

DALTON, GA – Recycling Ben, mascot for the Target Recycling Program, and the recycling team at the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority are delighted to announce the 2nd Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest.  The art contest is for students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in Whitfield County schools that recycle with Target Recycling.  Middle Schoolers are asked to design artwork for a billboard with a recycling theme in keeping with America Recycles Day that is celebrated on November 15.  The winning design will be displayed for at least four weeks on two billboards in Whitfield County.

During the inaugural competition in 2010, Dalton Middle School 7th grader, Esmeralda Perez won first place overall.  Her billboard design simply stated “I Will Recycle” and included the America Recycles Day slogan, “I Recycle”.  The suggested billboard themes for the 2011 contest are, “Let’s Target Recycling Together”, “I Recycle. Do You?” and “Recycle, it’s the natural thing to do.”  Click the image above to download the guide.

Glass, It’s Endlessly Recyclable

Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, Liz Swafford, invites you to recycle glass bottles and jars to celebrate Recycle Glass Month this September.

DALTON, GA – Whitfield County residents are invited to recycle their glass bottles and jars in celebration of Recycle Glass Month during September. Glass is 100% and endlessly recyclable, according to the Glass Packaging Institute or GPI. In fact, a glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days. Recycling just one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a compact fluorescent light bulb for 20 hours.

Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to create a new product. 80% of glass containers collected for recycling are made into new containers. While the rest of the glass, called cullet, is used in the production of glass tiles, glass jewelry, glass gravel or rocks, and more. The recycling process begins only when an individual drops-off their items for recycling at a local Convenience Center or puts them in a curbside bin for collection.

Here are some tips for recycling glass in Whitfield County:

1. Recycle glass containers only. Make sure you are recycling glass bottles and jars that are clear, brown, green, or blue. These would be your typical food jars and drink bottles. Do not include any non-container glass like glass drinking cups, mirrors, and glass bake ware.

2. Rinse with water. Rinse out bottles and jars to remove food residue. It’s ok to leave the labels on the containers.

3. Know where to recycle. Depending on where you live you can recycle glass at a Convenience Center or with the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Program.

Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have garbage drop-off areas and recycling drop-off areas with a specific container for glass bottles. There are four locations to choose from that are open to all county residents no matter what city they live in. They include the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill and Convenience Center in the south end of the county, Westside in Rocky Face, M.L.King Blvd. in Dalton, and McGaughey Chapel in Cohutta. For more details call 706-278-5001 or visit www.DWSWA.org and click on Convenience Centers.

Glass recycling is also available through the City of Dalton Curbside Recycling program that is for Dalton residents in single-family homes of three units or less. If you have trash pickup by the City of Dalton Public Works department you probably qualify for curbside service that includes a blue 18-gallon recycling bin. Simply add the glass containers to your recycling bin and take it to the curb on your designated day. For questions about curbside call the Public Works Department at 706-278-7077. 

Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority Featured in Dalton Magazine’s first Green Issue

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is featured in the September - October 2011 edition of Dalton Magazine as part of the first ever Green Issue.  An article titled "A dump? Not even close." written by Jane Harrell, has an overview of all of the DWSWA’s green programs including the Recycling Center.  “It is a top notch recycling service with a materials recovery facility, or recycling center, at its primary facility off South Dixie Highway,” wrote Harrell. “The recycling center enables recyclables collected in the area to be sorted, processed and then sent out to manufacturers that use the recyclable to make new products.”

Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, Liz Swafford, is on the cover of the magazine holding an office recycling bin full of recyclables.  The background in the photo is a large pile of mixed paper waiting to be processed for recycling.  An article titled "It's not that hard being green: At home and at work, residents do their part to benefit the planet" by Connie Hall-Scott includes an interview with Swafford and several residents. This article includes several recycling facts from the DWSWA website like, “A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days.”

A photo of carpet separated at the DWSWA for recycling on page 32 and 33 serves as the beginning of an article about the green initiatives in the floor covering industry.  Also mentioned in Dalton Magazine are more green programs managed by the DWSWA including Landfill Gas to Energy, the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, and the Conasauga River Mitigation Bank.

The magazine is available online as an e-edition at www.daltonmagazine.com and in newsstands throughout Dalton.  For more information about recycling in Whitfield County visit www.DWSWA.org or call the Dalton-Whitfield Recycling Center at 706-278-5001.

Here's a list of highlights from this issue:

• Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, Liz Swafford, is on the cover of the magazine holding an office recycling bin full of recyclables.  The background in the photo is the pile of mixed paper at the recycling center.   On the Cover credits are on page 5. 

• Page 8 and 9, Jane's Report, is an article titled "A dump? Not even close." written by Jane Harrell. It includes some historical background information and a review of all the DWSWA programs like Convenience Centers, Recycling Center, and the Landfill Gas to Energy Project. There are also two pictures from the Recycling Center.

• Page 10 to 17 is an article titled "It's not that hard being green: At home and at work, residents do their part to benefit the planet" by Connie Hall-Scott.  Liz S. and several residents were interviewed for the article that includes recycling facts from the DWSWA, green living tips, and extra photos.

• Page 32 and 33 are the beginning of the article about the green initiatives in the floor covering industry.  The photo is carpet being separated at the DWSWA for recycling.

• Page 39 is a half page ad encouraging readers to recycle in Dalton-Whitfield.

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.

Extremely Very Good Recyclers Awarded a Tree

Pictured are the BWC July campers next to their new tree.  Together they collected over 308 plastic bottles for recycling during their four-day camp.

DALTON, GA – Camp participants at the Bradley Wellness Center in Dalton won their very own real tree for collecting more than 100 plastic bottles for recycling during their four-day camp this July.   The Dalton Tree Board donated a Japanese Maple Red Dragon, which they planted near the tennis courts at the Bradley Wellness Center.  It now joins the tree that previous campers won during the month of June for their recycling efforts.

Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, launched the summer recycling contest on the first day of camp with a showing of the children’s television show episode “Look After Your Planet”.  The show is based on the book “We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers” and features characters created by Lauren Child named Charlie and Lola.  Campers learned about the importance of recycling and just like in the video received a Tree Counter poster they could use to keep track of how many plastic bottles they recycled.  By the end of the camp participants had collected over 308 plastic bottles for recycling, filled up the tree counter, and earned their own tree.