Live Christmas Tree Recycling on January 7, 2012

DALTON, GA -  On Saturday, January 7, 2012 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees from residents for “treecycling”.  The free event will be held from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton.

(Click here or on the logo to download the event flier!)

Christmas trees must be free of ornaments, nails, hooks, wires, 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.  In exchange for dropping off their live Christmas tree for recycling residents will receive a free seedling or packet of seeds to plant at home.

Statewide over 5.7 million trees have been recycled into mulch or habitats for wildlife since the beginning of the program in 1991.  During the 2011 event 309 collection sites throughout the state of Georgia recycled 161,319 Christmas trees with the help of 6,395 volunteers.

If local residents cannot participate the day of the event, there are two additional options available.

1.) The City of Dalton Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees from the curb.  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.  For hours of operation and directions visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

For more details about the event visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org or call 706-278-5001.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful would like to thank state and local sponsors for making this event possible.  State sponsors include the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, Earth911.com, The Home Depot, The Davey Tree Expert Company, Ferry-Morse Seed Co., and 11 Alive – Atlanta’s NBC Affiliate.  Local sponsors include Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Whitfield County - Georgia Forestry Commission, Whitfield County Public Works Department, and The Home Depot in Dalton.

Celebrate America Recycles Day 2011

Celebrate America Recycles Day this year in Whitfield County at one of our events organized in conjunction with Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful.   America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. One day to educate and motivate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year. Get involved!

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY AT WALMART FEATURING RECYCLING BEN

Location: Walmart Super Center, 815 Shugart Road, Dalton, GA 30720

Date: Nov. 12, 2011

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Event Description: Visit the America Recycles Day booth at the front of the store to learn about the recycling services available in Whitfield County. Take a photo with our mascot, Recycling Ben. Take the pledge to recycle this year with volunteers who are passionate about recycling. Take a look at all the different products you can recycle and see how easy it is to make a positive impact in the community.   For more information call the recycling center at 706-278-5001.

CITY OF VARNELL RECYCLING AREA KICK-OFF DAY

Location: City of Varnell Recycling Area, Corner of Kinnamon and Main St., Varnell, GA 30756

Date: Nov. 15, 2011

Time: 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Event Description: Kick off event for residents in the City of Varnell, Georgia. Join Recycling Ben at the Recycling Area on the Corner of Kinnamon and Main Street to learn about the new recycling area. 
Bring one recyclable item to recycle in the new containers and receive a free item made from recycled materials or featuring the "I recycle" logo. 
Items that are recyclable at this location are: plastic bottles or jugs (any color), aluminum beverage cans, or paper (cardboard, newspaper, etc.).

Find other events in our area at http://americarecyclesday.org/join-event?zip=30720

17th Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-Up

DALTON, GA - Be part of the tradition on Saturday, October 22nd, when you join local volunteers in cleaning up the Conasauga Watershed’s river and streams.  One of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, the Conasauga River supports 24 endangered species and a dozen other imperiled species, including the Southern Pigtoe mussel and the Conasauga log perch, a fish found nowhere else in the world.

Registration opens at 9 am at six clean up sites in Whitfield County and Murray County.  Choose a site and enjoy some muddy merriment as you help care for our area’s beautiful streams and river!  This year includes more accessibility for canoeists who will be able to clean the river while on a four-hour float.

This year’s clean-up will take place these six locations:

1. Conasauga River at Carlton Petty Road Bridge

2. Conasauga River at Highway 2 bridge*

3. Conasauga River at Lower King’s Bridge/Norton Bridge*

4. Holly Creek, Murray County, on the Chattahoochee National Forest

5. Mill Creek tributary in the City of Dalton

6. Coahulla Creek at Prater’s Mill

* Canoeists can put in at the Highway 2 bridge & take out at Lower King’s/Norton bridge, about a 4 hour float.

Sturdy shoes or boots, gloves, long pants, and long sleeved shirts are recommended.  Hip or chest waders are useful, but are not required.  Trash bags will be provided and at least the first 200 volunteers will receive a free shirt or other gift.  The event is held in conjunction with Northwest Georgia United Way’s Make A Difference Day and Georgia’s Annual Waterway Clean-Up, Rivers Alive.

To download the event flyer with directions, visitwww.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org.  Pre-registration is not required.  For additional information, please contact John Lugthart at jlugthart@daltonstate.edu.  For more information about efforts in other areas or the statewide campaign, go to www.RiversAlive.org.

SPONSORS:    Shaw Industries, Dalton Utilities, Mohawk Industries, Dalton-Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority (DWSWA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Conasauga River Alliance (CRA)

COORDINATORS:  Carpet & Rug Institute, CRA, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities, DWRSWMA, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, TNC and Murray County Extension.

Community Pride Day on April 16, 2011

Annual Bulky Waste and Electronics Collection Day for Whitfield County

DALTON, GA – Community Pride Day during the Great American Cleanup will be on Saturday, April 16 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Community Pride Day facilitates Spring Cleaning by inviting Whitfield county residents to dispose of bulky items and electronics without paying disposal fees at select drop-off locations.  The Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill and Convenience Center is the Main Location for this event.  Community Locations include three middle schools, Westside Middle School, Eastbrook Middle School, and North Whitfield Middle School.

To download the event ad, click on the image to the left.

All four locations will be accepting bulky items for disposal and electronics for recycling.  Bulky items include furniture, household equipment, and appliances.  Electronics include computers, digital cameras, cell phones, printers, scanners, and laptops.  There is a limit of one television accepted per vehicle.  Small electronics collected this year will benefit the 2011 Relay for Life of Whitfield County.

The Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center is the only location accepting Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) that includes household pesticides, pool chemicals, varnish and latex paints.  For a complete list of HHW please visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

Community Pride Day is open to residents of Whitfield County only.  Only residential or household waste will be accepted.  No business, commercial, construction or demolition waste is accepted.  Tires are not included in this event and should be disposed of at a Convenience Center for a minimal fee.  Household hazardous waste and tires will not be accepted at the school locations.

If you are unable to attend the event this year, please keep in mind that Household Hazardous Waste is accepted at the Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center on the third Saturday of the month from 7 am to 2 pm.  Electronics are accepted year round at the same location, Monday thru Friday 7 am to 6 pm, and Saturday 7 am to 3 pm.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Whitfield County Public Works organize this annual event.  For more information or to volunteer, call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-226-6211, visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org, or e-mail lswafford@dwswa.org.

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.