Local Non-profit to Host One of Georgia’s Largest Tree Recycling Events on January 25 at Bethesda Park in Lawrenceville; Live Trees Being Collected at Local Fire Stations through January 17

Duluth, January 15 – On Saturday, January 25, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GCB) will play host to the largest “treecycling” event in Georgia as part of the state-wide Bring One for the Chipper initiative. After the holidays have come and gone each year, regional affiliates of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation issue a call to citizens to deliver their live Christmas trees to local drop-off locations. At the end of the drop-off campaign, the trees are moved to a centralized location for individual Bring One for the Chipper events where they are then converted to mulch to be used in beautification projects throughout the local community. Since the program was first conceived 20 years ago, more than 6 million Christmas trees have been recycled throughout the state. Not all of the trees are sent to the chipper. Some are sunk into area lakes to serve as fish habitats, and others are converted to fuel and other uses. In the case of GCB’s annual Bring One for the Chipper event, approximately one out of every five Christmas trees is recycled in Gwinnett County. This year’s event will be held at Bethesda Park in Lawrenceville from 9 a.m. to noon, and GCB’s Executive Director Connie Wiggins is predicting that it will be bigger and better than ever before.

“There is still a little bit of time left for Gwinnett citizens to drop off their live Christmas trees to fire stations throughout the county,” explains Wiggins. “Trees must be free of decorations, lights and stands, and must be delivered on or before January 17. After that, we will need volunteers to join us at Bethesda Park on the morning of January 25 to chip all of those collected trees into mulch – which will one day line the grounds of a local playground, beautify the beds around the local town hall, mark a walking trail in an area park, and so much more. It’s a wonderful post-holiday tradition to initiate as a family or organization, and a terrific way for a Christmas tree to live on by serving another important purpose, rather than needlessly rotting in a landfill. In addition to our amazing volunteers, I’d like to thank our incredible sponsors – without which this event would not be possible. Our sincere thanks go out to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, Georgia Power, Jackson EMC and Republic Services.”

Christmas tree drop-off locations in Gwinnett include:

Buford

• Fire Station 14, 1600 Highway 23, 30518
• Fire Station 24, 2735 Mall of GA Blvd., 30519
• Fire Station 29, 2800 Thompson Mill Rd., 30519

Dacula

• Fire Station 17, 2739 Brooks Rd., 30019
• Fire Station 27, 2825 Old Fountain Rd., 30019

Duluth

• Fire Station 5, 3001 Old Norcross Rd., 30096
• Fire Station 7, 3343 Bunton Rd., 30096
• Fire Station 19, 3275 N. Berkeley Lake Rd., 30096

Grayson

• Fire Station 8, 2295 Brannan Rd., 30017

Hoschton

• Fire Station 18, 1515 Mineral Springs Rd., 30548

Lawrenceville

• Fire Station 9, 1900 Five Forks-Trickum Rd., 30044
• Fire Station 15, 275 S. Perry St., 30046
• Fire Station 20, 1801 Cruse Rd., 30044
• Fire Station 25, 3575 Lawrenceville Hwy., 30044

Lilburn

• Fire Station 2, 12 Harmony Grove Rd., 30047
• Fire Station 3, 4394 Five Forks-Trickum Rd., 30047
• Fire Station 22, 2180 Stone Dr., 30047

Loganville

• Fire Station 28, 3725 Rosebud Rd, 30052
• Fire Station 30, 1052 Ozora Rd., 30052

Norcross

• Fire Station 1, 165 Lawrenceville St., 30071
• Fire Station 4, 5550 Spalding Dr., 30092
• Fire Station 11, 5885 Live Oak Pkwy., 30093
• Fire Station 23, 4355 Steve Reynolds Blvd., 30093

Peachtree Corners

• Fire Station 4, 5550 Spalding Drive, 30092

Snellville

• Fire Station 6, 3890 Johnson Dr., 30039
• Fire Station 12, 2815 Lenora Church Rd., 30078

Sugar Hill

• Fire Station 26, 6075 Suwanee Dam Rd., 30518

Suwanee

• Fire Station 21, 474 Old Peachtree Rd., 30024

Gwinnett citizens who wish to volunteer for the Bring One for the Chipper Christmas Tree Recycling Event on January 25 at Bethesda Park in Lawrenceville are invited to register online at www.GwinnettCB.org/bringoneforthechipper/. The park is located at 225 Bethesda Church Road, and the chippers will be set up near the soccer fields. Volunteers are encouraged to dress comfortably in close-toed shoes and clothing they don’t mind getting dirty. Gloves are also strongly recommended. Volunteers must be 14 years or older, and must arrive with a signed Volunteer Release Form in hand in order to take part in the event. Volunteer Release Forms are available on the GCB website. Business groups, church groups, civil organizations, neighborhood associations and school clubs of 4 or more participants are also welcome to take part in this event.

About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful:  Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GCB) is an award-winning 501(c)3 charitable organization that boasts an expansive community-based network dedicated to finding long term solutions to environmental and quality of life issues through individual action. The organization is guided by a 55-member Citizens Advisory Board that represents all sectors of the Gwinnett County community. A nationally recognized leader in creating cleaner, greener and more livable communities throughout Gwinnett, GCB involves more than 100,000 volunteers annually to offer Litter & Graffiti Prevention Programs, Recycling/Waste Reduction Services, and Environmental Education Programs. For more information, please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.