The Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board (R-Board), Brooke Point High School Learn and Serve students, and the City of Fredericksburg Beautification Commission are holding special recycling events for Stafford and Fredericksburg residents on Saturday, November 10 and Saturday, November 17 to celebrate America Recycles Day.

“Each year, more Americans become better informed about the importance of recycling everything from plastics to paper, both at home and at work,” said Julie May, an analyst with the Office of Recycling and Litter Prevention. “The theme of this year’s America Recycles Day, which is observed on Thursday, November 15, is It all Comes Back to You to remind citizens that buying recycled products preserves the environment and precious natural resources.”

The R-Board and Learn and Serve students will host a free, community-wide “Shred-A-Thon” on Saturday, November 10, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Regional Landfill. Residents are encouraged to bring their financial statements, tax documents and other confidential paperwork to the landfill to be shredded and recycled. The students will direct traffic, man the shredders and grill hotdogs for participants to enjoy. The landfill is located at 489 Eskimo Hill Road. Residents from either jurisdiction must show proof of residency to participate.

The R-Board and Fredericksburg Beautification Commission will open a new recycling center at Walker-Grant Middle School, located at One Learning Lane in Fredericksburg, on Saturday, November 17. Volunteers will be on site from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. to weigh paper brought in for recycling. The person who drops off the most paper will win a rocking chair made from recycled plastic lumber. Residents from Stafford and Fredericksburg can drop off recyclables including:

·        Mixed paper including cardboard, newspaper, magazines, food boxes, junk mail and anything else that can be torn

·        Plastic containers numbered 1 – 7

·        Green, clear and brown glass bottles

·        Aluminum cans and foil

·        Steel and tin cans

American Recycles Day was started in 1997 by the National Recycling Coalition whose members include recycling professionals, businesses, and advocates of recycling. Sponsors include Novelis, an aluminum can recycling company; 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance; Ford Motor Company; Staples, Inc.; American Beverage Association; Recycle America Alliance; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Additional information about America Recycles Day is available at www.nrc-recycle.org.    

For more information about local America Recycles Day events, visit the R-Board Web site at www.r-board.org or contact Diane Jones, Recycling Coordinator, in the Stafford Office of Recycling and Litter Prevention at (540) 658-8680.

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