Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful’s roots as an eco-focused organization date back more than 40 years. In early 1979, the Lawrenceville Junior Women’s Club identified growing community concerns about illegal dumping and littering. They convened a group of 57 citizens in September 1979 to discuss these issues and explore ways to address them. In 1980, GC&B was created to educate and engage the public in efforts to improve our community’s environment and quality of life.
Here were some of our first steps…
1980-1985
- Began strategic partnerships with County government, Gwinnett County Public Schools and Gwinnett Chamber
- Established first county-wide newspaper and aluminum drop-off recycling centers
- Implemented comprehensive school environmental education program
- Created and implemented the Junked Car Ordinance
1986-1990
- Implemented first Christmas Tree Recycling Program in Georgia
- Created model Litter Ordinance for Georgia
- Designed, built, and funded Georgia’s first public-private recycling center
- Saved Tribble Mill Park from being sold and developed
1991 – 1995
- Created first Adopt A Stream program in Georgia
- Became Solid Waste Advisors and Administrators for Gwinnett County and Cities
- Developed and implemented new curbside recycling program
- Implemented community wide Adopt A Highway and Adopt A Road programs to increase community pride
- Implemented first storm drain stenciling program in Georgia to protect water quality
1996 – 2000
- Created and Implemented School Environmental Achievement Assessment and Awards program
- Developed and Conducted Georgia’s first Environmental Quiz Bowl
- Implemented Junk Car removal program
- Improved Gwinnett’s Tree Ordinance and best management practices
2001 – 2005
- Began Georgia’s first Governor’s Environmental Address
- Developed and implemented community wide Graffiti Prevention program
- Created and implemented Gwinnett’s first neighborhood Street Tree program
- Created and implemented Gwinnett’s median beautification program
- Developed and implemented commercial recycling processing facility
2006 – 2010
- Created and launched countywide “Fixing Broken Windows” program to reduce crime
- Implemented “No Idling” program at Gwinnett County Schools
- Conducted Gwinnett County and Cities’ Solid Waste and Recycling Study and Required Plan Update
- Rebuilt The Recycling Bank of Gwinnett after fire
- Implemented the Green & Healthy Schools Program
2011 – 2015
- Launched a Community Sensitive Document Paper Shredding Program
- Developed and implemented Operation Good Neighbor to keep neighborhoods clean and beautiful
- Developed and implemented Georgia’s first comprehensive watershed awareness and improvement program
- Developed and implemented a Youth Advisory Council
2016 – 2019
- 2016 saw the retirement of GC&B’s long-time Executive Director, Connie Wiggins – who had been with the organization since 1985, and welcomed Schelly Marlatt as GC&B’s new Executive Director
- GC&B was transformed to a nonprofit-government hybrid affiliate with a new office in the Gwinnett County Government Building in Lawrenceville – the county seat of Gwinnett
- GC&B debuted a new logo in 2018 to mark the organization’s rebranding
- Hosted Gwinnett’s first Hazardous Household Waste event with Gwinnett County’s Department of Water Resources and Solid Waste Management in 2018
- Received $83K in grant funding and created ground-breaking projects such as Plant It Forward, Food Waste Warriors and Great Gwinnett Wetlands
- Partnered with Parks & Recreation for the first Public Lands Day in over a decade at Tribble Mill Park
- Hosted Governor Brian Kemp at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful’s 13th Environmental Address
- Honored as Best of Gwinnett in Non-Profit Category for 2018 and 2019
- Presented plaques to 23 Green & Healthy Schools with the Reaching Higher Designation for the first time in the program’s history
2020
- GC&B commemorated 40 years of “Connecting People and Resources for a Sustainable Gwinnett”
Since 1980, we have worked in partnership with more than 100,000 volunteers and 100 community partners each year…
- To protect our health
- To protect our landscape and habitats
- To protect our streams and water quality
- To be good stewards
- In support of our children and our future.