“I Will Recycle” Artwork To Be Featured On Two Billboards

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DALTON, GA – Dalton Middle School 7th grader, Esmeralda Perez, is the overall winner of the 2010 America Recycles Day Billboard Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling. Her billboard artwork was chosen out of 203 entries from eight middle schools in Whitfield County. It simply states “I Will Recycle” and includes the America Recycles Day slogan, “I Recycle”. The design will be displayed for four weeks on two billboards in the Whitfield County area.

In addition to an overall winner, each grade also had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner. 6th grade: 1st Place, Ryan Neal, North Whitfield Middle School, 2nd Place, Vy Huynh, Dalton Middle School, 3rd Place, Victor Chavarria, Dalton Middle School. 7th grade: 1st Place, Esmeralda Perez, Dalton Middle School, 2nd Place MyKayla Hicks, North Whitfield Middle School, 3rd Place, Grace Wiggins, North Whitfield Middle School. 8th grade: 1st Place, Brianna Giron, Eastbrook Middle School, 2nd Place, Carrie Carlton, Dalton Middle School, 3rd Place, Axel Aguila, New Hope Middle School. The nine students received goodie bags and a certificate of participation from DWSWA staff. Their entries can be seen online at www.DWSWA.org.

Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator at the DWSWA, explained that America Recycles Day is celebrated every year on November 15th and encourages the public to make a pledge to recycle year round. “The new billboards are just part of a greater, ongoing educational campaign for recycling options in Whitfield County. Students should be commended for rising to the challenge of this contest. Designing for billboards is very different from creating a typical piece of artwork. Billboards are seen by people in moving vehicles and need to have a clear, concise message typically made up of six words or less.”

To learn how you can recycle too, visit www.DWSWA.org or contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org.

Limited Number of Recycling Bins Available

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DALTON, GA – Recycling Ben is giving away a limited number of 22-gallon recycling bins to qualifying residents in Whitfield County through a new program called Recycling Ben’s Bins [ Registration for this program is now closed. ]. One hundred recycling bins were obtained through a grant awarded by ALCOA and the Georgia Recycling Coalition (GRC) and for use at one of four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Convenience Center locationsinclude the Old Dixie Landfill & Convenience Center in the south end of the county, Westside in Rocky Face, McGaughey Chapel in Cohutta, and M.L.King Blvd. in Dalton. Each one features a recycling and household garbage drop-off area among other services. 

Those interested in obtaining a free recycling bin through Recycling Ben’s Bins [ Registration for this program is now closed. ] should register online at www.DWSWA.org. Participants should already use a Convenience Center location to drop-off their household garbage or recyclables, have Internet access, a valid email address, and commit to answering a short recycling survey online once a month for one year to help gauge the impact of the grant. Each recycling bin includes a recycling guide, which details the types of materials accepted and how to prepare them for recycling. Those new to recycling are especially encouraged to register to obtain one of the remaining bins.

To register for Recycling Ben’s Bins visit visit www.DWSWA.org. For recycling information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org.

Winners Announced - 2010 America Recycles Day Billboard Contest

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 Winners of the first ever America Recycles Day Billboard Contest were announced today at the City Hall in Dalton, Georgia. The 2010 contest was hosted by Target Recycling at School, a program managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority which supports recycling efforts in 35 schools in Whitfield County. Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, congratulated all the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that participated. "Designing artwork for billboards is very different from creating a typical piece of artwork.

Billboards are seen by people in moving vehicles and need to have a clear, concise message typically made up of six words or less." The winning design was created by Dalton Middle School 7th grader, Esmeralda Perez. Swafford added, "This year's billboard design simply states, "I will recycle" and "I Recycle" which is the America Recycles Day slogan."

In addition to an overall winner, each grade also had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner. The nine students will be receiving goodie bags and a certificate of participation. The results and student's artwork are listed below. It will take about two to three weeks for the billboard to be made and revealed to the public. We will keep you informed and have an official unveiling date soon.

254 Volunteers Made a Difference at the 16th Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-up

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DALTON, GA -  254 volunteers from Whitfield and Murray Counties helped clean-up seven locations along the Consasauga River Watershed during the United Way of Northwest Georgia’s “Make a Difference Day” on Saturday, October 23rd.

The Conasauga River, one of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, 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.  After spending the morning cleaning up different sections of the Conasauga Watershed, seven volunteer groups had removed 12,621 pounds of trash and debris.  Items collected included discarded tires, rims, car parts, plastic bags, cans, bottles, used carpet, and even broken bicycles.  Chinese Privet, an invasive shrub, was also removed at the Prater’s Mill location.

Below are the seven locations in Whitfield and Murray counties selected as clean-up sites followed by the number of volunteers, and amount of trash and debris removed at each one.

1. Conasauga River at Lower King’s Bridge/Norton Bridge, 35 volunteers, 5,020 lbs.

2. Conasauga River at Highway 2 Bridge, 51 volunteers, 360 lbs.

3. Conasauga River at Carlton Petty Road Bridge, 17 volunteers, 790 lbs.

4. Holly Creek, Murray County, on the Chattahoochee National Forest, 38 volunteers, 625 lbs.

5. Mill Creek tributary in the City of Dalton, 41 volunteers, 3,680 lbs.

6. Coahulla Creek at Prater’s Mill, 60 volunteers, 2,060 lbs.

7. McClellan Creek in Dalton, 12 volunteers, 86 lbs.

This year’s Conasauga Watershed Clean-up included fifty more volunteers than last year. The amount of clean-up time donated by the 254 volunteers is valued at $15,900.  As a group they collected 7,200 more pounds of garbage than in 2009.  The first 200 volunteers received a t-shirt and water bottle in appreciation for their participation.  Event organizers want to thank everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this year’s event.

The Conasauga Watershed Clean-up has been a part of Rivers Alive, a statewide campaign to clean and preserve over 70,000 miles of Georgia’s rivers and streams, for sixteen years.  Rivers Alive continues to be the State’s and one of the South’s largest volunteer efforts to beautify water resources.  As of the beginning of November, 15,303 volunteers participated 138 clean-up events through out the state this year.  Together they have collected 233,717 pounds of garbage from Georgia waterways.

For additional information about this year’s event, please contact John Lugthart at jlugthart@daltonstate.edu or call 706-272-2485.  For more information about efforts in other areas or the statewide campaign, call 404-675-6240 or go to www.RiversAlive.org.

This year’s Funding Sponsors included Shaw Industries, Dalton Utilities, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Conasauga River Alliance (CRA).

Coordinators for 2010 included the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI), Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, and Murray & Whitfield County Extension.

Supporters of the statewide campaign include Georgia Adopt-A-Stream and Project WET, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division, Keep Georgia Beautiful, and Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

 

Dalton’s Recycling Goal in Sight

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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.