In celebration of the annual day of action commemorated by more than a billion people the world over, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Solid Waste Management will host an Earth Day Recycling Event on Saturday, April 24. Held from 9 a.m. to noon at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds – located at 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy Lawrenceville, the day will mark one of the largest recycling events in the county. During the three-hour event, organizers and volunteers will be accepting hard-to-recycle items like electronics, paint, tires and more.
“We invite all our Gwinnett County neighbors to come out and join us in this annual celebration of Earth Day in one of the best ways we know how – to recycle,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “We were unable to hold this event last year due to COVID-19, but in 2019, we collected more than 4,500 gallons of paint, 6 tons of tires, 20 tons of paper and 14 tons of electronics. Combined, that’s slightly more than the weight of a Boeing 707 jet airliner. We’re expecting an even larger response this year, so we’re gearing up in the weeks leading up to the big day to ensure another smoothly run, successful event.”
For those who plan to participate, Marlatt suggests they start gearing up, too, by gathering their items now. Throughout the event, the following items will be collected:
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Paper for secure shredding (Please limit to five copier paper boxes per vehicle)
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Electronics (Recycling is free except for TVs, monitors and printers – $15 cash fee per monitor or TV; $5 cash fee per printer; projection/console TVs are $35 cash fee)
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Oil-based and latex paint (Please limit to 10 gallons per vehicle – cans must contain 25% wet paint)
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Tires (Please limit to eight tires per vehicle; no dealer tires)
To ensure the safety of all attendees, volunteers, staff and vendors and adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, the following measures will be in place:
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Attendees are encouraged to wear masks
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Attendees should remain in their vehicle at all times
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Items to be recycled should be placed in the trunks or backs of vehicles where they will be removed by vendors or volunteers
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Containers will not be returned; therefore, participants are asked to bring materials in disposable containers or boxes
Launched in 1970, Earth Day is an environmental movement, engaging more than 75,000 partners in over 190 countries to drive positive action for our planet. With a mission to Restore Our Earth™, the actual date for Earth Day in 2021 is April 22, but – in an effort to get the most participation from Gwinnett County neighbors – Gwinnett County opted to host its Earth Day event during the following weekend. To learn more about this and other upcoming Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful events, please visit www.gwinnettcb.org. Questions may be directed to gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org or 770-822-5187.