April 22, 2001 marks the 31^st anniversary of Earth Day.  On April 22, 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson held the first Earth Day event.  Over 20 million people took part in the event and environmentalists all over the nation were united.

and put it in the container co-mingled with all other recyclables.  When they are full, we separate and empty them into larger bins.  In our garage we have a dedicated area where we sort and keep #1 and #2 plastics together, all the glass together, magazines, a box for newspapers, aluminum and tin cans and even batteries.  Our cardboard/cereal/tissue boxes, etc. we put all together.  We put all the small boxes and cardboard pieces in a paper bag and the whole thing can be recycled as such.  When our bins are full, we make a trip to Hobgood Park.  We are able to drop off most of our recyclables there.  The batteries and magazines we take to the main recycling center on Blalock Road where they accept the above mentioned recyclables as well as motor oil, car tires and appliances.  It really is easy to recycle!

What about all those apples peels, coffee grounds and eggshells?    They can be composted.  Composting is a great way to recycle all of your organic kitchen scraps and grass clippings.  You can build a pile using old boards, chicken wire or buy a compost bin.  All you need to do is find a sunny spot out in the yard and remember to keep adding new material and turn the pile once a week.  In a month or so, you'll have this wonderful organic material to use in your garden.  If you like to go fishing, another bonus of composting is worms; you get lots of them all in one place which cuts down on that tedious worm grubbing time before you head to the lake.

There will be many events held in honor of Earth Day 2001.  Keep Cherokee Beautiful will be hosting our third annual Earth Day and Recycle Festival on April 21, 2001 at Woodstock City Park from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.  There will be continuous educational games with prizes for kids along with a craft table and face painting, all FREE!  Linda Menken will be the DJ for the second year providing a wonderful array of music.  From NAPCOR we have our Fashion Show of clothing made from PETE (#1) Plastics, featuring famous local residents.  It should be a real hoot.  Artists and vendors who use recycled, reused and environmentally friendly materials in their crafts and wares will be present.  Booths will be manned by the Sierra Club, the Etowah River Shed, the Little River Association, Association for a Smog Free Georgia, and Master Gardeners, just to name a few.  The Knights of Columbus and Delightful Bitefulls will provide a nice variety of foods.  You can even buy a compost bin from Keep Cherokee Beautiful while you're there.  We hope you will choose to come celebrate Earth Day with us, but if not, there are many other Festivals and events going on in our area. 

Why not make a difference this year and every year.  Organize a clean up in your area, adopt-a-mile, join an environmental organization, or start an environmental club at your school or church.  Start your own composting.  Saving our environment starts at home.  While teaching your children how to brush their teeth, tie their shoes, or how to read, don't forget to teach them how to recycle.  Let's all make it a daily habit.

You can call Keep Cherokee Beautiful at
(770) 517-7650 or visit their website at
www.keepcherokeebeautiful.org to find
a recycling location close to you.

Since then, the United States Environmental Protection Agency was created.  The Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act were all passed.  The Solid Waste Act was also adopted by many states.  People have realized that the Earth's resources are limited and we must preserve what is left.  What difference can the average American family make?  Only politicians can pass laws and ordinances that will legally save our Earth for the next generations.  We as citizens can let them know that we want our environment protected. 

There are many little things we can do at home that will have a positive impact on the environment.  One of the most important is REDUCING our waste.  Trash has really become a problem.  The average citizen produces 5½ pounds of garbage daily.  Landfills are expanding and many states ship their garbage to a neighboring state because they don't have room.  Nice Neighbors!  It is obvious that something has to be done.  We must change our way of thinking and our daily habits.

Reducing the amount of waste you produce is the first place to start.  Carrying canvas and net bags with you when you shop is a great way to cut down on the amount of bags you bring home.  Buying in bulk is also very helpful; you don't end up with all the packaging waste.  Have you ever thought of serving family dinner at home with cloth napkins instead of paper?  The kids love it.  They pretend they're at a restaurant.  Their table manners improve too.  That's a bonus!  You would save hundreds of paper napkins from taking up space in a landfill.  My sister packs a cloth napkin in her lunchbox for work.  Of course, buying products made from recycled materials is also a way to cut down on waste.  We purchase almost all of our paper products from a company that ships them directly to us in case lots.  No shipping costs either.  The products are made from 100% recycled paper (80% post-consumer, 20% pre-consumer) and no chlorine bleaching.  On the side of a toilet paper roll made from recycled paper it states -- "If every household in the   U.S. replaced just one roll of 500 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissue with a 100% recycled one, we could save 297,000 trees, 1.2 million cubic feet of landfill space and 122 million gallons of water (a year's supply for 3,500 families of four)."  That's impressive!

The second step is to RECYCLE.  The hardest part seems to be how to organize the stuff at your home prior to taking it to the drop off.  In our house we have two small bins in the kitchen for recyclables.  When we empty a can or bottle, etc., we rinse it out