Most Creative: WAP Sustainability

Most Resourceful: Hamilton County Master Gardeners

Most Sustainable: Global Green Lighting

People’s Choice: Rhoades Car

Your resource to clean up and prevent litter in the community!

Outdoor Festival featuring over 90 events!

Sept. 30-Oct. 9

906 N. Dartmouth Street
Chattanooga, TN 37405

Recycle Your Cell Phone!

Did you know you can recycle your cell phone? Many Americans are in love with their phones and always want the newest thing, and several get it. So that means thousands of cell phones are left obsolete very quickly and make their way to landfills where they are forgotten. But cell phones have metals and other materials that can be toxic to the environment when they leach into the soil. So instead of just trashing your next “old” cell phone, why don’t you recycle it?

Your cell phone can be recycled and/or refurbished and live a second life as re-purposed materials or as someone else’s “new-to-them” cell phone. You can recycle your phone with the City of Chattanooga at any local recycling center, with Scenic City Recycling, or with local charities that use the generated funds to support their cause. Partnership for Families, Children and Adults recycles phones for their Family Violence Center and the local Ronald McDonald House also accepts recycled phones.

To-Go No-No’s

Most people live very busy lives and depend on to-go options at cafes, restaurants and drive-thrus to fit in quick meals – especially at breakfast and lunch. What many people may not realize, however, is how much trash is generated when ordering food to-go. Here are a few no-no’s to keep in mind when getting that next order to-go:

• Don’t take disposal utensils if you don’t need them. Ask the restaurant to hold the utensils and you’ll save on unnecessary plastic and paper.
• Don’t take extra napkins. We all know that napkins are trees. So only take one if any at all.
• Don’t take unnecessary packaging. If you’re just ordering a bagel to-go, you don’t really need a container and a bag. Just opt for one or the other.
• Don’t use the cafe’s coffee cups if you can bring your own. Some local coffee shops will even offer a discount if you use their reusable coffee mugs for your regular coffee.

Of course, you generate less trash when you eat meals at home that you prepare, or if you take your meal to work/school in reusable food containers!

Have you ever passed a dumpster at a downtown business and seen it overflowing with garbage? Dumpster overflow is a common cause of litter. Although the business is placing their refuse in the dumpster for proper disposal, if a dumpster is allowed to overflow it results in litter that can be blown through town and will likely find its way, ultimately, to our river.

If you see an overflowing dumpster, don’t be afraid to make a call to the business that owns the dumpster and let them know. It is likely that management doesn’t even know they are causing unintended littering to source from their business. If you contact the business and still see no change over a few weeks time, report the issue to the City by calling 3-1-1 or even to the Better Business Bureau at www.chattanooga.bbb.org.