Bring One for the Chipper - January

Every year, Keep DeKalb Beautiful sponsors "Bring One for the Chipper" as part of a Statewide effort to recycle Christmas trees. This annual event continues the tradition of trading a used Christmas tree for a tree seedling, while supplies last. Citizens have the option to submit used trees to designated drop-off points in DeKalb County. Residents who are currently serviced by DeKalb County Sanitation Division  may also leave their trees for curbside pick-up. The Christmas trees are recycled by chipping them into mulch for use in landscaping, or by using them as fish and wildlife habitats.

Last year, more than 200,000 trees were recycled in the State of Georgia. Over 10,000 of those trees were from DeKalb citizens. The program produces tangible environmental benefits while helping our county comply with Sate regulations that prohibit the disposal of yard trimmings in lined municipal landfills.

Click here for information on how to obtain free mulch through a KDB Beautification Project or DeKalb County Sanitation Division.

 

Arbor Day - February

Arbor Day is a nationally recognized celebration in which many communities take the time to plant the seeds of tomorrow today. The idea for Arbor Day originally came from Nebraska. A visit to Nebraska today wouldn't disclose that the state was once a treeless plain. Yet it was the lack of trees there that led to the founding of Arbor Day in the 1800s. In 1854, J. Sterling Morton, American pioneer from Detroit established a home in Nebraska, which he quickly planted with trees, shrubs and flowers.

As a journalist and editor, Morton advocated tree planting and also encouraged civic organizations and groups to join in and plant trees. His prominence in the area increased, and he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory, which provided another opportunity to stress the value of trees.

Georgian's recognize Arbor Day on February, 15th. Due to recent drought, recognizing the importance of trees and their impact on the environment has become vital to communities. The KDB recognizes Arbor Day in a variety of ways including showcasing outstanding existing trees in the county through Selected Tree Photo Contests and tree planting events. See our Photo Gallery.

For more information on the upcoming Arbor Day recognition event, please contact the KDB Office.

 

Great American Clean up and Dump-It-Right for Earth Day - April

You can be involved with the largest litter prevention and beautification effort ever. In April, join two million volunteers across the country and help clean up your community! The Great American Cleanup is an annual, nationwide, community improvement campaign started by Keep America Beautiful in 1999. Each year KDB participates in Keep America Beautiful's Great American Clean up initiative as a way of giving our communities a "Fresh Start."

DeKalb County community groups register with KDB to host community clean ups and beautification projects around the county. Groups that register receive plastic bags, gloves, safety vests, pickup sticks and t-shirts as supplies are available. Community groups join DeKalb County in picking up trash and litter from streets and sidewalks.

In past years, 65 community groups have helped remove over 30,000 pounds of litter from 130 miles of roadway around DeKalb County.

In addition to cleanups, KDB also offers the "Dump-It-Right Day" Event to celebrate the Great American Cleanup. This event gives residents a free opportunity to get rid of junk items that normally require a disposal fee. All donated clothing will be given to charity and local vendors will be on site to properly dispose of various recyclables such as ink and laser print cartridges, empty propane tanks, scrap metal, and electronics.

KDB also focuses on increasing recycling efforts of tires, which will preserve natural resources. Individuals are limited to 10 tires per car load. Off-road tires will not be accepted. Residents are also given directives to take their used motor oil and car batteries to local Bridgestone/Firestone Retail and Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC) affiliate stores for proper disposal.

Through the efforts of concerned citizens, this event continues to provide the greatest impact towards improving the health and aesthetic value of DeKalb County. For more information on how to participate in the Great American Clean up and what items are accepted for Dump-It-Right Day, please contact the KDB office.

 

KDB partners with the DeKalb County Extension Service and their Master Gardener Program to conduct a compost demonstration workshop. The demonstration workshop includes information on:

• What goes in your 30-gallon brown, paper refuse bag,
• How to make an indoor Worm Compost (Vermicomposting),
• How to build a compost bin,
• Master Gardener table with plants or seedlings,
• Make your own terrariums,
• How to grow your vegetables with compost,
• The difference between Mulch and Compost, and information on soil sampling.

Organic materials represent 70 percent of materials landfilled each year and composting has proven an effective form of utilizing this resource.  Promoting the use of renewable resources in landscaping, horticulture and agriculture enhances community sustainability.

DeKalb County Sanitation Division offers the citizens of DeKalb free compost and mulch for pickup.  To locate the nearest compost/mulch pickup location, please visit the Sanitation Website. For more information on composting or upcoming events, please contact the KDB office.

 

Electronics Recycling - Biannually

Keep DeKalb Beautiful offers residents of DeKalb County and metro Atlanta another opportunity to recycle their old electronic items properly and reduce the environmental liability of hazardous material entering Seminole Landfill.

It's estimated that there are at least 4.4 million PCs and 8 million Televisions in 3 million households in Georgia. This e-waste will eventually become 334,800 tons of e-waste that will end up in our landfills. We promote the recovery, reuse and recycling of obsolete electronic equipment, and to encourage the design, manufacture and purchase of environmentally responsible electronic equipment.

The KDB Program will host electronics recycling events biannually. Additionally, there is a permanent recycling drop off site at the DeKalb County Seminole Road Landfill for electronics. To find out when the next electronics recycling event hosted by KDB will take place, please contact our office.

 

Recycling Day - September

Each September, KDB partners with the DeKalb Cooperative Extension Service and Your DeKalb Farmers Market to host the annual "Recycling Day at the Market". This event is open to the pubic and all citizens are encouraged to bring one or more "recyclables" (newspaper, plastics, aluminum cans, etc.) to the market recycling center. In return, they are given a wire compost bin or a seedling tree or plant.

The purpose of this event is to emphasize the importance of recycling and highlight the end use of recycled materials. Children made wildly decorated hats and kazoos from recyclables, as well as learned about vermicomposting. The DeKalb County Master Gardeners were on hand to answer questions about their compost demonstration garden at the Market, vegetable gardening, xeriscaping, creating a backyard habitat, and care of the free give-away plants. If you are interested in learning about the programming schedule for the next Recycling Day, please contact the KDB office.

 

Rivers Alive - October

Rivers Alive is Georgia's annual volunteer waterway cleanup event that targets all waterways in the State including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches, and wetlands. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia's water resources.

Georgia's 70,150 miles of streams and rivers need your help! Our waterways provide us with fresh drinking water, great recreational opportunities like canoeing and fishing, and they serve as a pleasant respite from our busy day to day lives. Everyone contributes to pollution in our streams. This is your opportunity to help by giving something back to the environment!

Every October, KDB sponsors a Rivers Alive clean up on one of many DeKalb County stream reaches. Volunteers are needed to ensure that this event is a success. To volunteer for our Rivers Alive event, contact the KDB office to inquire about this year's event location and date.

 

 

 

America Recycles Day

The goal of America Recycles Day (ARD) annual campaign is to encourage Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products. Since its inception in 1997, the ARD campaign has grown substantially. Last year, residents in every state of the nation participated in America Recycles Day and pledged to recycle. America Recycles Day is recognized on November 15th. For information on the KDB scheduled event in recognition of America Recycles Day please contact our office.