As 2024 winds down to a close, the folks at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Solid Waste Management are gearing up for their final combined community event of 2024. Marking Gwinnett County’s answer to the Keep America Beautiful nationwide initiative, America Recycles Day will take place November 2, 2024, from 9 a.m. to noon at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. The event will provide an opportunity for citizens to drop off items that are not accepted curbside, such as paint, electronics, and tires. Participants can also bring gently used clothing and shoes for donation and paper for shredding at the event.

“Celebrated on or around November 15 each year, America Recycles Day has been a major observance for more than 25 years,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “As a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, we are proud to carry on the tradition of promoting and celebrating the benefits of recycling to our community. Not only does recycling divert waste from our local landfills, but recycled materials can be used to make all kinds of new products. More than just a recycling event, America Recycles Day is designed to educate and encourage individuals to be more mindful of what they consume, where and how to recycle properly, and to pledge to recycle more in their everyday lives. Combined with our other affiliates and participating organizations and municipalities during last year’s event, we recycled over 16.5 million pounds of materials. Whether joining us as a volunteer or a local participant, we look forward to seeing everyone bright and early November 2!”

Marlatt added that Gwinnett County contributed to that nationwide 16.5-million-pound total by recycling 5,514 gallons of paint, 14 tons of tires, and 21 tons of electronics, shredding 11 tons of paper, and repurposing 2,550 pounds of textiles during America Recycles Day 2023. For the 2024 event, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is urging citizens to start collecting the following items for drop off at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds on November 2:

• Electronics – Recycling is free except for TVs, monitors, and printers. Attendees are asked to bring cash – $35 for projection or console TVs, $15 per monitor or flat-screen TV, and $5 per printer.

• Paint –Both latex and oil paint will be accepted at this event. Collection is limited to ten gallons per vehicle. 

• Tires – Limit eight tires per vehicle – no dealer tires, please. Tires must have rims removed and be free of water and debris.

• Paper shredding – Limited to five copier paper boxes

• Textiles – Including gently used clothes and shoes

“It’s important to remember that paint cans must contain at least 25% wet paint in order to be recycled,” shared Marlatt. “If there’s less than 25%, residents can simply add kitty litter, shredded newspaper, or sawdust to the can to dry up the remaining paint, then double bag the can and throw it in their curbside trash bin for pickup. We will be unable to collect empty paint cans or cans that have 100% dried/solidified paint in them at this event.”

Encouraging families and groups to donate a few hours of their Saturday, Marlatt conveyed that volunteers are crucial to the event’s success. From directing traffic to hauling recyclables from attendees' vehicles to their corresponding stations, volunteers must be 14 or older. As thanks for their participation in America Recycles Day 2024, volunteers will receive a complimentary event t-shirt (while supplies last.) Registration is now open at https://cerv.is/0024gkhtpUj. Volunteers should plan to arrive at 7:30 a.m. on November 2 for assignment. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is located at 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy in Lawrenceville.