Posted January 2007

ROCKY THE RECYCLING RACCOON ENCOURAGES CHATTANOOGANS TO START THE NEW YEAR "RIGHT"

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — At a press conference held at Waterhouse Pavilion at Miller Plaza, Rocky the Recycling Raccoon kicked off Chattanooga’s new recycling initiative, "Recycle Right." According to Rocky, there’s no better way to start the year off than right…recycling right.

"Rocky and Recycle Right’s Team Recycle have made a commitment to spread the word about recycling right in Chattanooga and are encouraging citizens to do the same," said Mayor Ron Littlefield.

Recycle Right’s Team Recycle, a group of volunteers, along with Orange Grove Center were on hand to answer questions regarding recycling and to distribute information on how to recycle correctly.

"On average, 330 tons of materials collected through the curbside program are redirected to the landfill each month because those materials are either not recyclable or are recycled incorrectly," says Mayor Littlefield. "Rocky and Team Recycle are working to educate the community on how to recycle the "right" way and how to prepare their recyclable materials in order to reduce the amount of redirected materials."

Recycling right means more than recycling correctly; recycling is the "right" thing to do for our community because it provides vocational training and jobs to academically at-risk high school students and developmentally disabled citizens at Orange Grove Center.

"By recycling you are providing members of our community with valuable vocational skills which are necessary for future employment in our community," says Tera Roberts, employment supports director at Orange Grove Center. "With the addition of the four new convenience centers, Orange Grove will provide approximately 150 jobs to academically at-risk high school students and developmentally disabled citizens from our community."

Furthermore, recycling is the "right" thing to do for Chattanooga because it keeps our scenic city beautiful. By recycling, citizens of Chattanooga reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill.

There are several steps Chattanoogans can take to Recycle Right:

*Follow the guidelines to ensure you are recycling correctly—this entails properly preparing your recyclables and making sure the items you put on the curb can be recycled through the curbside pickup program

*Spread the word—encourage your family members, friends and neighbors to "Recycle Right" and educate them on the proper way to recycle

*Use convenience centers in addition to participating in the curbside program to enhance your positive impact on Chattanooga—by utilizing convenience centers, you can recycle additional materials such as glass and electronics

*Volunteer—you can be a member of Team Recycle and educate the community at local events about how to recycle right" and why it’s important to recycle. Chattanoogans who are interested in volunteering can e-mail their name, phone number and mailing address to volunteer@recycleright.org, call (423) 648-7341 or visit www.recycleright.org.

Recycling the right way in Chattanooga is easy. Clear guidelines for both curbside recycling and recycling at convenience centers are available at www.recycleright.org. The Web site also includes assistance in determining which Wednesday of the month is your curbside pickup day, answers to frequently asked questions, a printable "Rocky the Recycling Raccoon" coloring page, and will have information about upcoming Rocky and Team Recycle appearances, plus more.

Chattanoogans may also pick up a copy of the recycling guidelines and view a map of service areas at City Hall, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, the Chattanooga Public Library and Orange Grove Center.