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Citizen Connection Feb 2019Spring cleaning is right around the corner. As you clean out your home or business, remember that not all old or unwanted items belong in the trash. This edition of the Citizen Connection is dedicated to helping you repurpose, upcycle, and recycle items and help keep Denton beautiful. CITIZEN CONNECTION FEBRUARY 2019 CITY OF DENTON VOLUNTEER FOR THE ANNUAL GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP ON MARCH 23 Last year at the Great American Cleanup, more than 2,200 community volunteers worked with nonprofit Keep Denton Beautiful, Inc. (KDB) to remove more than nine TONS of trash and recycling from Denton’s streets, waterways, and public spaces. On Saturday, March 23, you can join in KDB’s 31st annual cleanup effort, and help improve the beauty and health of our community. Cleanups will begin at 9 a.m. at various, assigned locations around Denton, followed by a volunteer appreciation party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Denton Civic Center (321 E. McKinney St.). The volunteer party will feature a free lunch, live music, kids’ bounce houses, and other fun activities. To volunteer, either as a group or an individual, register by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 11 at www.kdb.org. For questions, or to register over the phone, call (940) 349-8737. The Great American Cleanup is part of a nationwide effort led by Keep America Beautiful. Denton is one of more than 20,000 communities that participate each year. Denton’s Great American Cleanup event is hosted by local nonprofit KDB and is made possible through community contributions It is important to keep potentially toxic household chemicals out of the landfill and collection trucks, where they could mix together and create hazardous situations. To prevent this, the City of Denton has a Home Chemical Center available at no additional cost to residents. As a Denton resident, you can receive at-home collection by calling Customer Service at (940) 349-8700 to schedule a collection. Items collected will be reused, recycled, or properly disposed of. In order for us to collect your unwanted chemicals, make a detailed list of each item, quantity, and the container size, then call to schedule a pickup. There is a container size limit of 10 gallons (liquid) or 50 pounds (dry weight) per collection. Please note that chemicals set out without calling will not be collected. You can also drop off at your items at the Home Chemical Center located at 1527 S. Mayhill Rd. (Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Remember to bring an ID with your current Denton address. Accepted items include: used motor oil and cooking oil, batteries (all kinds), paint, light bulbs, household cleaners, aerosol cans, automotive fluids and fuels, and more. For a full list, visit www.dentonrecycles.com. FREE HOME CHEMICAL COLLECTION AVAILABLE and sponsors including City of Denton Watershed Protection, the Solid Waste and Recycling Department, the Parks and Recreation Department, Denton Municipal Electric, and various local businesses. A publication of the City of Denton Department of Public Affairs ADA/EOE/ADEA • TDD (800) 735-2989 • www.cityofdenton.com Questions about the Citizen Connection? Call (940) 349-8171. In today’s fast-paced culture, we can produce a lot of unnecessary waste. To reduce that waste, try repurposing, or upcycling, old or used items that you would otherwise throw away. You can do this by taking something old and using your creativity to design something new. This not only helps generate more value in items that were once considered trash, but also keeps them from ending up in the landfill. Do you want to upcycle, but you’re not sure how to get started? Here are a few ideas using everyday objects from around the house: • Take some old socks and turn them into a new dog toy. • Cut up old T-shirts and turn them into scarves or tank tops. • Convert an unused dish rack into a desktop folder rack. • Turn your old cheese grater into an earring holder. • Upcycle your old shopping bags, ribbons, and bows, and turn them into a wearable fashions. Have fun—the ideas are endless! GET CREATIVE AND GIVE NEW LIFE TO OLD OR USED ITEMS Waste reduction through recycling creates benefits for both people and the environment. Recycling helps decrease the amount of items sent to the landfill, while also reducing the need to manufacture paper, plastics, metals, and glass, which can harm our valuable resources. It also decreases the need to burn fossil fuels to obtain raw materials for manufacturing, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling is available to you even if you live or work in a building that does not offer recycling services, or you simply have too many items to fit in your curbside cart. Public recycling drop-off centers are located throughout the city and are free to use. Three locations are available to drop off your items: North Lakes Park (Windsor Drive at Hinkle Drive), the old Cupboard Natural Foods & Café parking lot (West Congress Street at North Elm Street), and ECO-W.E.R.C.S. Resource Recovery Park (1525 S. Mayhill Rd.). Recyclable items include cardboard, paper, metal, plastic, glass, and cartons. For more information and a map of drop-off locations, visit www.dentonrecycles.com. WHY DOES DENTON RECYCLE? Only place the correct items in your blue cart. This helps us collect good, clean materials that can be recycled into new products! Empty all containers and place loose items inside your cart. No plastic bags. To learn more about recycling, visit www.dentonrecycles.com. RECYCLE RIGHT Place these in your green cart. Boxboard & Cardboard Steel & Aluminum Cans Glass Bottles Cartons & Juice BoxesMixed Paper Plastics #1-7