Helpful tips so your family can make a difference.
Earth Day 2018 is almost here. Fun fact: “Going green” doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some tips to help your family get started on its way to feeling good about its small carbon footprint before Earth Day arrives. All it takes are several minor changes to make a really big difference.
Inside the home.
• Recycle curbside: clean plastics, paper/cardboards and aluminum/tin cans.
• Turn off your computer/monitor at the end of the day.
• Clean your refrigerator coils. Vacuum out the dust and wipe with a damp cloth.
• Use cloth napkins at dinner.
• Run the clothes washer/dishwasher with full loads.
• Keep your freezer full. A full freezer runs more efficiently than an empty one. Fill milk jugs with water and freeze them to take up empty freezer space, then use the frozen jugs for coolers instead of having to buy ice in bulk for parties.
• Pay your bills online and opt for paperless billing.
• Upgrade to a programmable thermostat, so you don’t heat or cool your home while you’re not there, and wear an extra sweater or use a blanket before you resort to turning on (or up) the heat. These thermostats can pay for themselves in less than three years, and you can program them from your phone when you’re away from home.
Outside the home.
• Support green businesses.
• Rent a hybrid car on a road trip.
• Purchase cloth or canvas grocery bags and return all plastic bags to the store.
• Get the junk out of your trunk. Extra weight in your car decreases fuel efficiency.
• Take your own mug to the coffee shop. Some shops offer discounts when you do.
• Invest in an insulated lunch bag and food containers for work or school.
• Make a habit of carrying a reusable water bottle. Buy one with a built-in filter to avoid tap water, if that’s important to you.
• Get out your rake and leave your leaf blower in the garage.
This will cut down on emissions (not to mention give you a good workout).
The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce will host an Earth Day recycling event on April 20, 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m., at 3605 Marietta Highway, Canton, rain or shine. This event is held in partnership with Cobb EMC, and is supported by Next Step Ministries, Autumn Hill Nursery, Safe Kids- Cherokee County, Premier Surplus and Georgia Document Destruction.
Collections will include: aluminum/tin cans, used gardening pots/containers, car seats and electronics. Document destruction will be available; however, shredding is limited to six archive-size boxes. All recycling is free except for a nominal charge for televisions and monitors. Flat screen televisions and flat screen monitors will be recycled at no charge.
For more information on this event, and other green tips, please visit CherokeeChamber.com or call 770-345-0400. The mission of the Cherokee County Chamber, a Georgia certified chamber of commerce, is to promote business and the community while expanding the economy and enhancing the quality of life.
By Jessica Porter, business and consumer services specialist for the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.
The 3 “Rs”
• Reduce. Limit the amount of waste you dispose of by being conscious and aware of what happens with the item after you use it. Implement good habits by using reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags and email documents to yourself or save them to your hard drive instead of printing.
• Reuse. Items can be used for other purposes. Have a yard sale. It’s not all trash. Donate clothes, furniture, cookware, book, etc., to thrift stores. Each of these examples cut back the amount of material in the waste stream.
• Recycle. Divert items away from landfills and make them available to manufacturers who can produce new products out of them. This process saves energy, raw materials, water and reduces the amount of pollution in the air.
Be a part of the cycle. Buy products made of recycled materials because you know they have conserved resources. All of this contributes to a better quality of life.
Green Facts
• Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
• Each square mile of ocean is estimated to have 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.
• Turning down your thermostat by one degree can cut 8 percent off your fuel bill.
• Every three months, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the nation’s commercial air fleet.
• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours.
• Aluminum cans are able to be recycled using less than 5 percent of the energy used to make the original product.
• The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.
• Recycling a glass bottle also causes 20 percent less air pollution and 50 percent less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.
• The amount of wood and paper Americans throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
Recycling Guide
The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce provided this information to help get your family started on the green path. For more information or support, call 770-345-0400 or visit www.CherokeeChamber.com.
Reduce
Chadwick Landfill
13700 Chadwick Farm Blvd., Roswell
770-475-9868
Cherokee C & D Landfill
6285 Ball Ground Highway, Ball Ground
770-479-1083
Dixie Landfill
150 Dixie Drive, Woodstock
770-924-6110
Eagle Point Landfill
8880 Old Federal Road, Ball Ground
770-781-2721
L & H Inert Landfill
520 Fairview Road, Ball Ground
Pine Bluff Landfill
13809 E. Cherokee Drive, Ball Ground
770-479-2936
Whitestone Valley Landfill C & D
1714 Old Whitestone Road, E., Talking Rock
706-253-3300
Reuse
Goodwill Store
1750 Marietta Hwy., Canton
Goodwill Store
2850 E. Cherokee Drive, Canton
770-479-6300
Goodwill Store
9425 Hwy. 92, Woodstock
Goodwill Donation Site
150 Prominence Point Pkwy, Canton
Goodwill Donation Site
Bells Ferry Road at Hobgood Park, Woodstock
Goodwill Donation Site
8014 Cumming Hwy., Canton
Bethany Boutique
Merismos Ministries Inc.
8024 E. Cherokee Drive, Canton
700-479-9462
M.U.S.T. Ministries
111 Brown Industrial Pkwy., Canton
770-479-5397
NLB Thrift Store
1910 Eagle Drive, Woodstock
678-679-1172
Salvation Army Thrift Store and Service Center
121 Waleska St., Canton
770-720-4316
C.C. Humane Society Thrift Store
5900 Bells Ferry Road, Acworth
770-592-8072
Recycle
Autumn Hill Nursery, Inc.
100 Pea Ridge Road, Canton
770-442-3901
Cherokee Recycling Center
470 Blalock Road, Canton
770-516-4195
City of Canton
151 Elizabeth St., Canton
Household recyclables
City of Holly Springs Fire Station
100 Hickory Circle, Canton
Household recyclables
Hobgood Park
6688 Bells Ferry Road, Woodstock
770-516-4195
Georgia Document Destruction, Inc.
606 Industrial Court, Woodstock,
770-516-6500
GADocumentDestruction.com
Call2Recycle
Call2Recycle.org
877-273-2925
Premier Surplus
12 Asset Recycling Way, Dawsonville
706-403-0886
Woodstock Recycling
111 Dixie Drive, Woodstock
678-494-0325
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