The numbers from America Recycles Day 2024 in Gwinnett County are in, and they are outstanding. Hosted at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds on November 2, the Keep America Beautiful-inspired event was organized by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Solid Waste Management to encourage local citizens to recycle items that cannot be collected curbside. The items collected were oil-based and latex paint, tires, electronics, clothing, sneakers, and paper for shredding. Within three hours, 103 volunteers had served an astounding 1,535 cars. In 2022, the number of vehicles served was 1,100; in 2023, it had grown to 1,446.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see so many cars lined up to participate in one of our events,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “It’s a visual reminder that we’re fulfilling a need and making a difference on behalf of our community and the environment. Our volunteers did an incredible job of keeping the line moving so cars weren’t idling too long, and our neighbors left happy – unburdened by items taking up space in their garages, basements, storage rooms, closets, and cabinets. In addition to increasing the number of attendees, we nearly doubled the number of gallons of paint accepted while adding three more tons of paper and two more tons of electronics over last year’s numbers. It’s clear that the word is spreading about the many ways Gwinnett County seeks to serve its residents.”

As the stats rolled in, they were equally impressive as the number of participants. During America Recycles Day 2024, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Solid Waste Management effectively diverted the following from local landfills: 10,779 gallons of paint, 23 tons of electronics, 10 tons of tires, 1200 pounds of textiles, and 14 tons of paper.

The final event on the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful calendar for 2024 and the first event of 2025 are one and the same. Collection of live trees for “treecyling” kicks off December 26 at select fire stations throughout the county, culminating in the annual Bring One for the Chipper event at Bethesda Park on January 25, 2025 – when hundreds of trees are chipped to mulch for use around Gwinnett County public areas and parks. To stay up-to-date on upcoming events hosted by the eco-friendly nonprofit, Gwinnett County residents are encouraged to bookmark GC&B’s event calendar and follow its social media pages on Facebook (@gwinnettcb), Instagram (@greengwinnett), LinkedIn (@gwinnett-clean- beautiful), and X (@gogreengwinnett). To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its programs, please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.