Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
If you did not take the opportunity to make the America Recycles Day pledge in November, you still have time. If you do not currently recycle, you can start or pledge to recycle more by going to this Keep America Beautiful website: https://americarecyclesday.org/pledge.
Keep Liberty Beautiful was happy to promote and celebrate recycling this month with our local schools and businesses in Liberty County. All the Liberty County and Long County elementary and middle schools, the Think Big After School program, and some restaurants were given America Recycles Day placemats with facts about recycling. We visited Bradwell Institute and Liberty County High School during their lunch hours and shared recycling display information and giveaways. We thank all who were able to participate in the different activities for America Recycles Day.
While promoting recycling this month, many questions were asked about what can be recycled. I found a website (https://www.glad.com/teachable-trash/recyclingfor- kids/) that explains recycling very well: The Recycling Process Made Simple — Recycling is collecting materials that would typically be thrown away and giving them another life. Unfortunately, this process isn’t always that simple. Following a few critical rules is essential to ensure that all material is recycled correctly.
On the underside of most plastic containers, you will find a recycling triangle with a number inside. Each number indicates a different type of plastic. Not all numbers belong in a recycling bin, so check with your municipality to ensure you’re adequately informed on what plastics they can handle.
Paper products come in many different shapes and sizes. Some look like the computer and notebook paper you might find at school or work. At the same time, others are used in packaging and containers such as cardboard and paper cups. When adequately prepped, most paper products can be recycled.
Here are a few steps to prep your paper. Make sure the paper is: Clean. No grease, food, or tape; Pure. No wax or plastic coating; and flat. Always break down large boxes.
Nearly all the glass in consumer-packaged goods is recyclable. Make sure the glass is clean; no food or dirt before recycling.
You can still help recycling by keeping shoes out of landfills. It’s all about being thankful this holiday season.
Around Christmas, we may receive gifts and be thankful for what we have. As we collect shoes, we improve lives in our community and other needed areas around us. We know you have lots to do to prepare for the holidays. Still, we wanted to remind Liberty County to invite your family and friends to search their homes and look for gently worn, unneeded, unwanted shoes from their households. We can make this season of giving a part of the Keep Liberty Beautiful Shoe Drive.
While you are out and about getting supplies for the holiday gathering, ask everyone you run into to help with the shoe drive. You may be surprised by the people that would be willing to help. Our goal this year is 1,000 pairs of shoes, and now we have until the end of December to fill 100 shipping bags with 25 pairs of gently worn, used, and new shoes!
Also, in December, Gum Branch, Riceboro, and Walthourville will have their Rivers Alive Cleanup. We will have official Rivers Alive T-Shirts while supplies last. You can sign up online at SignUpGenius and search for klcb@libertycountyga. com, or you can contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 8804888 or email klcb@libertycountyga. com. Rivers Alive is a statewide effort to preserve and protect our waterways in Georgia. Rivers Alive is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division’s Environmental Outreach Program. Rivers Alive events are also part of the international efforts of The Ocean Conservancy.
For more information or to get involved with Keep Liberty Beautiful, please call (912) 880-4888 or email klcb@liberty countyga.com.