Georgia SWANA awards scholarship to local high school student

Sawyer L. Locke, from Northwest Whitfield High School, was awarded a scholarship by Georgia SWANA board member emeritus Mack Belue during Senior Recognition Day.

(Dalton, GA, May 23, 2012) - The Georgia Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has awarded five Academic Scholarships this year to outstanding High School seniors and College students in the state of Georgia.   One of the scholarships awarded this year went to a local high school student.

Whitfield County resident Sawyer L. Locke, who attends Northwest Whitfield High School, was awarded a scholarship in the amount of $1,500.   Georgia SWANA board member emeritus Mack Belue presented the award during Senior Recognition Day on May 18 at the school.

SWANA maintains that the education of students and the general public is an important step in eliminating some of our biggest solid waste management problems.  The scholarship program aims to support the growth of knowledgeable and responsible solid waste management professionals for the future.  For more information about the GA SWANA Scholarship program visit www.gaswana.org. 

Landfill, Convenience Centers to be closed on Memorial Day

DALTON, GA – The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority facilities will be closed on Monday, May 28, 2012 in observance of Memorial Day.  Locations include the Old Dixie Landfill & Convenience Center, McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center, Westside Convenience Center, and the M.L. King Convenience Center.

All locations will reopen on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.  For more information visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

Memorial Day Holiday Schedule

• Saturday, May 26, 2012 - All Locations Open - Normal Hours (7am – 3pm)
• Monday, May 28, 2012 – All Locations Closed
• Tuesday, May 29, 2012 – All Locations Open (7am – 6pm)   (Westside Normally Closed)
• Wednesday, May 30, 2012 – Resume Normal Operating Days and Hours (McGaughey Chapel Closed)

Composting: Nature’s Way of Recycling

Green material is added to a compost bin to help produce compost.  Greens include vegetable and fruit scraps.  Photo: Flickr/Gudlyf

Celebrating International Compost Awareness Week

(Dalton, GA, May 9, 2012) –  According to the EPA’s 2010 Municipal Solid Waste study, 27% of household waste in the United States is made up of food remnants and yard trimmings.  These organic residuals can be very useful to the environment if they’re recycled into compost instead of being thrown away.  Composting can easily be started in your backyard by combining landscape trimmings and food scraps in a compost bin.  Nature takes care of the rest, producing a nutrient rich soil amendment through the decomposition process after several months.

Compost producing bins are filled with a combination of “brown” materials, “green” materials, and water for moisture.  Brown materials include paper, cardboard, dry yard waste like dry leaves, small branches and twigs, and straw.  Greens include wet yard waste like fresh grass clippings, green leaves, as well as food scraps like vegetable and fruit peels, coffee grounds, and bread.   Each category provides the nitrogen and carbon needed for nature’s recycling process to begin.   When the material at the bottom of the bin is dark and rich in color, and has no remnants of food or yard waste, the compost is ready to use.

To celebrate International Compost Awareness Week, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is hosting a Compost Bin Sale at the Downtown Dalton Saturday Market.  On Saturday, May 12th at the Dalton Green from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm volunteers will be distributing composting information and selling a limited number of “Garden Gourmet” Backyard Composters for only $40.00 each, 50% off the retail price of $79.99.

International Compost Awareness Week, organized by the US Composting Council, is from May 6 to 12 this year.  To learn more about composting visit www.compostingcouncil.org.  For event information call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-226-6211 or visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org.

Compost Bin Sale - Saturday, May 5 and May 12

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is celebrating International Compost Awareness Week by hosting a Compost Bin Sale on May 5 and May 12 at the Downtown Dalton Saturday Market.  A limited number of Garden Gourmet Backyard Composters are available.

Celebrating International Compost Awareness Week

(Dalton, GA, May 3, 2012) – In partnership with International Compost Awareness Week, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is hosting two Compost Bin Sales at the Downtown Dalton Saturday Market.  On both Saturday, May 5th and Saturday, May 12th at the Dalton Green from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm volunteers will be selling a limited number of the “Garden Gourmet” Backyard Composter for only $40.00 each, 50% off the retail price of $79.99.  A portion of each sale benefits environmental education for K-12 students in Whitfield County, and several Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful events like Christmas Tree Recycling Day.

The “Garden Gourmet” backyard composter is an attractive bin that fits neatly into almost any backyard space thanks to its compact size of 24”x24”x36”.   The easy to assemble bin is made from 51% recycled plastic and includes convenient features like a sliding bottom door to remove compost.  It’s an ideal choice for beginners since it includes a basic composting guide.

Gardeners refer to composting as “turning your garbage into gold” because it keeps food scraps and organic waste out of the landfill while allowing nature to recycle them into a nutritious soil amendment.   Items that can be added to your compost pile include coffee grounds, tea bags, fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves, hair, and grass clippings.

International Compost Awareness Week, organized by the US Composting Council, is from May 6 to 12 this year.  For more information, and to learn more about composting visit the US Composting Council at www.compostingcouncil.org.

For more information call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-226-6211 or visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org. 

Community Pride Day on April 21

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful invites residents to drop off bulky waste for disposal and electronics for recycling on Saturday, April 21 at Community Pride Day during the Great American Cleanup.  Please remember to secure your load for cleaner roads.

Annual Bulky Waste and Electronics Collection Day for Whitfield County

(Dalton, GA, April 6, 2012) - Community Pride Day during the Great American Cleanup will be on Saturday, April 21 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.

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.  Please remember to secure your load for cleaner roads.  Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck or trailer.

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 every 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.

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

• Event Listing on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/343841238995751/
• Event Listing on Dalton Events and Daily Citizen websites: http://www.eviesays.com/event/id/2546264.html
• Event Listing on Yahoo Upcoming and Earth911 websites: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/8793090/GA/Dalton/Community-Pride-Day-During-the-Great-American-Cleanup-2012/Old-Dixie-Hwy-Landfill-and-Convenience-Center/