During this month associated with Valentine’s Day and the act of “showing the love” to those you hold dear, we at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful wanted to share FIVE impactful ways you can show the love for your community and the environment that encompasses it…
- Do Your Part to Stop Litter: An average of $11.5B a year is spent on litter cleanup in the U.S. In Gwinnett County alone, it’s valued at nearly $1.6M. Make a habit of bringing a plastic bag with you on daily walks in your community, and then do your part to pick up litter along the way. You can also participate in volunteer cleanup events and programs like Adopt-A-Road. Of course, one of the most impactful ways you can impact our environment for the future is to teach your children about the importance of not being a litterbug!! If we all work together, we CAN make a difference. Keep reading for additional tips to prevent littering.
- Report Illegal Dumping: From old mattresses to outdated furniture, illegal dumping takes the concept of littering to an entirely new level. Not only are these items a blight on the appearance of our community, but illegal dumping is completely avoidable since bulk item collection is part of the service residents pay for in unincorporated Gwinnett. This allows for the collection of one to two bulk items per week through a solid waste hauler – including washers and dryers, old water heaters, sofas and more. If you witness illegal dumping, please report it to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful by phone at 770.822.5187 or via email at gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org.
- Pursue the Practice of Recycling: Whether at home, school, work or on the go, it’s important that you make recycling part of your daily routine. Recycling offers many benefits that include: A) The reduction of greenhouse gasses and chemicals that are released by waste in landfills B) The reduction of space needlessly taken up in landfills C) The reduction of pollution D) The reduction of the need for raw materials E) Recycling is a $200B industry that employs millions of people – so by recycling, you’re also helping the U.S. economy. Some simple ways to recycle include offering a trash AND recycling receptacle in key rooms of your home, such as your kitchen and home office and becoming a student of which items are recyclable curbside and which are not. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful offers a list of items that are recyclable at the curb on our website. Learn additional ways to recycle at home, school and work.
- Volunteer for Cleanup Events and Annual Programs: Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and our partners are proud to play host to a number of cleanup and recycling events throughout the year. To make these events as successful as possible, we need a lot of volunteers. Register as a volunteer through our website and we’ll be in touch as events come up or be sure to bookmark our Events page and/or like our Facebook page to stay on top of the latest news and volunteer for individual events when you’re available. Volunteering is a rewarding way to have a hands-on impact on your community and environment. Of course, there’s no need to wait for a cleanup event to take action for the good of the environment! If you see a roadway that needs attention and would like to show it some love, call Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful at 770.822.5187 or email us at gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org and we will gladly provide you supplies such as safety vests, gloves, trash bags, and litter grabbers to conduct your own cleanup. Once you’ve settled on a date and completed your cleanup, we will even make arrangements to have the bags of trash and items picked up.
- Donate to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful: As a nonprofit entity, we rely on donations to continue to connect people and resources in order to promote a more sustainable Gwinnett. Donations to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful support our events and programs, such as Adopt-A-Road, Adopt-A-Stream, Great Gwinnett Wetlands, Earth Day Recycling Event, Green & Healthy Schools and so much more!