Billboard Design Contest for Middle School Students Announced

Target Recycling, a program managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority (DWSWA), has initiated a billboard design contest for Middle Schools in Whitfield County. Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade are asked to design artwork for a billboard with a recycling theme in celebration of America Recycles Day. The winning design will be displayed for four weeks on two billboards within our community.

The 2010 America Recycles Day Billboard Contest is the first of it’s kind for the recycling program. America Recycles Day takes place yearly on November 15 and encourages the public to take a pledge to recycle. Winners will be announced on Monday, November 15 at City Hall in the City of Dalton.

Middle schools that recycle with Target Recycling in Whitfield County are invited to participate. These include Eastbrook Middle School, New Hope Middle School, North Whitfield Middle School, Valley Point Middle School, Westside Middle School, Dalton Middle School, Christian Heritage School, and the Learning Tree School. 

Entries are due on Wednesday, November 10th. 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. Billboard design requirements, participating schools, suggested themes, and important dates are available in the Contest Rules document. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org.

Pleasant Grove Elementary Named Top Recycler for Third Quarter

DALTON, GA -  During the months of February, March, and April Pleasant Grove Elementary collected 8,690 pounds of recyclables through the Target Recycling program.  That is the equivalent of collecting 57,933 empty cereal boxes or 896,000 sheets of printer paper.  Thanks to the efforts of the staff, teachers, and students, Pleasant Grove Elementary improved their recycling rate of only 2.1 pounds per students during the 1st quarter of the 2009 – 2010 school year to an amazing 15.9 pounds per student for the 3rd quarter.

Recycling Ben, mascot for the Target Recycling program, presented the student body at Pleasant Grove Elementary their award on Friday, May 21st.  The award chosen by school staff is a blue wagon to help collect recycling bins from classrooms and offices.   Students cheered as their mascot Pee Gee accepted the wagon from Recycling Ben.  During the school assembly Liz Swafford, Recycling & Education Program Coordinator for Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, congratulated the students for all their hard work and highlighted their achievements in recycling for the year.

Target Recycling is a recycling program managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority that includes educational opportunities and recognition of participation for City of Dalton and Whitfield County schools.  Since the Fall of 2008 local schools have hosted Target Recycling Containers where they collected mixed paper products like cardboard, paper, office paper, books, cereal boxes, magazines, and newspapers.  Each quarter the school with the highest recycling rate receives a custom award that will help improve the recycling program or beautify their campus.   For more information visit www.dwswa.org, www.recyclingben.org or call 706-278-5001.

Pictured are Recycling Ben, Pee Gee, and some of the fifth graders that participate in recycling at Pleasant Grove Elementary in Dalton, GA.

New Hope Middle awarded recycling cart

DALTON — Recycling Ben, mascot for the Target Recycling program, presented the seventh-grade class at New Hope Middle School an award for having the highest recycling rate during the second quarter of the 2009-2010 school year.

The award chosen by school staff is a two-level cart to help collect recycling bins from classrooms and offices. Cheering students had the opportunity to also win Recycling Ben hats and T-shirts by naming items that are recyclable. Thanks to the efforts of local teacher Janet Crumley and an enthusiastic team of seventh-graders, New Hope Middle School practically doubled their initial recycling rate of 5.5 pounds per student during the first quarter of the school year to an amazing 10.5 pounds per student during the second quarter of the school year.  

Target Recycling is a recycling program managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority that includes educational opportunities and recognition of participation for city of Dalton and Whitfield County schools. Since fall 2008, local schools have hosted Target Recycling containers where they collected mixed paper products like cardboard, paper, office paper, books, cereal boxes, magazines and newspapers. Each quarter the school with the highest recycling rate receives a custom award that will help improve the recycling program or beautify its campus. Awards include items like recycling bins for classrooms or benches made from recycled materials.  

To improve the recycling rate at your school, contact Liz Swafford, recycling and education program coordinator, at (706) 278-5001 or e-mail lswafford@dwswa.org.

Pleasant Grove Elementary Targets Recycling

Posted on February 26, 2010 / 

Chattanoogan.com Student SceneSubmitted by the DWSWA

During the month of January, Pleasant

Grove Elementary recycled 3,240 pounds of mixed paper, the equivalent of a stack of newspapers two and a half school buses long! The school was able to move from a very low recycling rate of 0.8 lbs. per student during the month of August 2009 to an astonishing 5.9 lbs. per student in January 2010. They surpassed other high performing schools like New Hope Middle School that reached 5.2 lbs. per student in November 2009, and Dawnville Elementary School that reached 5.0 lbs. per student in December 2009.

Pleasant Grove Elementary began recycling mixed paper with the Target Recycling program managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority (DWSWA) last year.

However, their numbers remained stagnant, under 1 lb. per student each month. It took some newfound enthusiasm and leadership from the principal, Mr. Richard Knox, and key staff members, like teacher Chris Harrison, to get the students and other staff motivated to participate in recycling.

What does it take to collect the equivalent of 21,600 cereal boxes in one month? An enthusiastic staff and student body that believes that recycling is good for the environment. Recycling bins in every room collect mixed paper and serve as daily reminders to recycle. Mixed paper includes newspaper, writing paper, office paper, magazines, junk mail, telephone books, cardboard, and even textbooks. For some schools, these paper products can make up over 40% of their waste.

On January 19th Recycling and Education staff from the DWSWA, Michael Foxx and Liz Swafford, visited the school council to discuss taking their program to the next level. They provided additional information for educational resources, mini-posters, and the infrastructure needed to begin a recycling program for plastic bottles. With the addition of plastics, the school’s recycling rate will continue to rise making Pleasant Grove Elementary one of the local leaders in school recycling.

Currently all public schools in the City of Dalton School District and the Whitfield County School District participate in the Target Recycling Program. During the month of January the schools collectively recycled the equivalent of a stack of newspapers 24 school buses long.

To take your school to the next level call Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator for DWSWA, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail her atlswafford@dwswa.org.

Fort Hill Schools Awarded Recycling Wagon

Submitted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Published in The Daily Citizen

DALTON, GA — Recycling Ben, mascot of the Target Recycling program, presented Pam Massingale, coordinator for North Star, and Lloyd Brochu, director of Crossroads Academy, with a recycling award on Wednesday. 

The Fort Hill Schools have done an outstanding job for the first quarter of the 2009-2010 school year, reaching an average of 14.7 pounds of recyclables collected per student.

They chose the award of a blue wagon to help collect recycling bins from each classroom and office.

Target Recycling is a recycling program managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority that includes educational opportunities and recognition of participation for Dalton city schools and Whitfield County schools. Since the fall of 2008 local schools have hosted Target Recycling containers where they collect mixed paper products like cardboard, paper, office paper, books, cereal boxes, magazines and newspapers. Each quarter the school with the highest recycling rate receives a custom award that will help improve the recycling program or beautify the school’s campus. Awards include items like recycling bins for classrooms or benches made from recycled materials.  

To improve the recycling rate at your school, contact Liz Swafford, recycling and education program coordinator, at (706) 278-5001 or e-mail her at lswafford@dwswa.org