recycling

Green letters saying The Great Virginia Greenup

Great Virginia Greenup Is Still On!

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Green letters saying The Great Virginia GreenupThe Great Virginia Greenup is still on!

Each year Virginia joins the ranks of the national effort from Keep America Beautiful in The Great American Cleanup that kicked off on the first day of Spring and will continue until June 20, 2024.

Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful states, “Keep America Beautiful has always believed in the power of beauty, and now we have the data to back it up.  We’re calling on all Americans to join us to help make our nation cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer.”  She states that the impact of a cleanup goes far beyond simply making communities look nicer. They point to new research that shows a correlation between greenspace and reductions in crime and gun violence, including a 2020 University of Virginia study, among others, that found if green space is well-designed and properly maintained, it has the potential to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

That’s one of the reasons we use the word “Greenup” instead of cleanup, because there’s so much more we can do in addition to picking up litter.  You can clean up graffiti or transform graffiti-ridden walls into community murals, plant native trees and flowers that will benefit wildlife and pollinators, or host a recycling drive.  Invite neighbors for a shared yard sale or swap to pass along your unused items, so instead of a trip to the landfill, they find new purpose.

In addition to feeling good about your Greenup accomplishments, and improving your community, Keep Virginia Beautiful has an additional incentive!  Report the results of your cleanup or other activity using our online reporting form.  Prizes of sustainable items we know you’ll love to try are awarded weekly for those who report their results!

If you don’t have a project in mind for yourself but would like to help out, you can join other groups — check out our Events Calendar to find things that are happening near you.  If you’re hosting an event, you can add it to our calendar.  And we have local affiliates across the state that are doing awesome work!

So get out there, cleanup and Greenup, report your results from now until June 20th, and feel good about what you’ve done for yourself and your community!

Thank you to our sponsors for their support!

Dominion Energy Logo   

 

Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nf

$500 – $1,000 Grant Apply Through April 30

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Green background with words Time is running out! Apply for a Green Grant before midnight, April 30; clock with legs running, KVB logo, tiny URL: https://tinyurl.com/2fxd59nfWe know that YOU can do great things in your communities, and WE want to help!

We’re awarding $500, $750, and $1,000 Green Grants to groups to improve the natural and scenic environment of Virginia.  Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $307,000 for 415 programs and projects throughout the state.  The program has been so successful because of the nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations, civic leagues, “Friends of” groups, Scouts, and others who see a need where they live, and apply for a grant to get it accomplished.

You can apply for a Green Grant in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Cigarette Litter Prevention, Community Beautification, and Recycling.  The applications are evaluated and scored by a panel of experts in their fields, and in June, one Green Grant award is announced one each day, until all thirty awards have been revealed.

The general Grant Application Guidelines should be read before an application is submitted. Click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

Applications are due before midnight on Tuesday, April 30, 2024!

Here are some past awards for inspiration:

  • Friends of a city park installed cigarette butt receptacles in the parking lot and at entrances to the park, to eliminate cigarette butt litter that can clog storm drains and harm wildlife.
  • A church parish started a composting collection program, yielding an average of 50 pounds of food waste that would have been sent to the landfill, but is processed to create rich compost.
  • Classrooms at an elementary school are collecting markers and pens to be recycled through TerraCycle.
  • A neighborhood civic league used grant funds to purchase litter grabbers, safety vests, gloves, and florescent hats for the safety of volunteers during their roadside cleanups.
  • Invasive species were removed and native plants installed along a hiking trail.

Please see our Green Grants webpage for descriptions of the categories, read the general Grant Application Guidelines, and click here to start a 2024 Green Grant Application.

We are grateful to the sponsors of our 2024 Green Grants Program:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!

Altria Logo        WestRock Logo             Logo for Village Bank

Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of it

Need a Little Seed Money?

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Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of itOur 2024 Green Grant applications are now available on our Green Grant Program webpage!  Each year we award thirty grants for environmental projects and programs to groups and organizations in Virginia.  The Green Grants program empowers groups all across Virginia to make an environmental impact in their own communities.  This is one of the ways we can engage the people who live in Virginia to improve our natural and scenic environment.

Applications can be submitted between now and April 30, 2024.  Thirty awards will be announced, one each day, in June.  Grant awards are available for $500, $750, or $1,000 proposals. You can read the general Grant Application Guidelines for more information, and can apply in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Recycling/Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

There is so much we can do within our own communities, and we hope a little seed money can help you start or enhance a program or try a new method of living in a more sustainable way.

Here are some ideas for projects and programs that you may need to solve a need for

  • Install cigarette butt receptacles in a no-smoking area or parking lot in your;Green Grants Logo
  • Host a Fix-it Fair to keep items out of the landfill that will have life left in them after small repairs;
  • Purchase grabbers, safety vests, and gloves for volunteers to clean up roads and the landscape;
  • Start a composting program with produce that would be thrown away at a restaurant or at a farmers market, to reduce food waste;
  • Supply your classroom with re-usable lunch boxes, water bottles, storage bags, cloth napkins, and utensils to see how much less trash you create each day.

Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment in your community, I hope that you’ll apply for a Green Grant this year.  Please reach out to Beckey Watson at [email protected] if you have any questions about the program.

America Recycles Day logo

America Recycles Day

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America Recycles Day logoAmerica Recycles Day is celebrated nationally each year on and around November 15th.  Recycling efforts have moved far beyond the blue bins in the corner of the room that hold unopened junk mail. A few other “R” words have also been added to the popular chant of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” such as “Repurpose” and “Refuse” are key players in the goal to reduce waste, litter, and use our resources wisely.

The benefits of recycling are more important now than ever.  Recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, it conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals, and it prevents pollution by reducing the need for raw materials to be mined or harvested, processed, manufactured, and transported.

There is so much you can do to recycle and reduce waste every day!  But it’s very important that you check with your local recycling provider to know what they will accept in your recycling bin where you live, or at the recycling drop-off station in your community. Items like cardboard, metal cans, and paper are commonly accepted by local curbside programs, and items like plastic bags, electronics and batteries do NOT go in the curbside recycling bin.

So, you think you’re pretty knowledgeable about recycling?  Do you know if pizza boxes are fully recyclable, or if you can recycle regular household pots and pans?  You can test your recycling know-how with this Recycling Reality Check quiz from Keep America Beautiful, our parent affiliate organization.

If you’re already an experienced recycler, reducer, and re-user, we hope help inform others, especially children.  There are many programs that make learning about recycling fun.  Central Virginia Waste Management has a great resource page with Recycling Steward patch that kids (or groups of kids) can earn!  There are other fun games, activities, and educational programs on the page too.  The US Environmental Protection Agency also has a webpage full of ideas for kids, including the Planet Protectors Activities for Kids and Science Fair Fun.

One last thing, just for fun.  Check out this Foam Free video that presents a message about the “R” word “Refuse,” as consumers aim to make good choices about the containers used in the food and beverages they purchase. WHRO Public Media partnered with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) on the latest video, where viewers learn of the harmful effects that polystyrene can have on the environment, along with eco-friendly alternatives to polystyrene, and other waste-reduction behaviors.

Green Grants Logo

Five Fall Green Grants Awarded

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Green Grants LogoAs we continue to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Keep Virginia Beautiful, we’re happy to announce five Fall Green Grants were awarded to our local affiliates and allied partners!  These organizations work hard year-round to keep their communities clean and green.  Here are the awards for this special Fall Green Grants Program:

Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, $1,000 for Recycling
UTRR plans to conduct its second Fix-it-Fair for the citizens of Russell County. The first fair, held in the fall of 2022, was a rousing success. The event will have six “fixers” available:  mending/sewing, furniture repair, small appliance repair, evaluation of electronics, and jewelry repair. The fixers will offer to repair the items free of charge to the citizens.

The purpose of the Fair is to encourage people to repair items they already have, instead of throwing them away and buying a new product.  That’s a great way to recycle and reuse!

Keep Suffolk Beautiful, $500 for Litter Prevention
KSB launched a successful litter kit lending program with Suffolk Public Libraries several years ago.  It allows residents with library cards to “check out” litter kits (for 4 people) from each of their public library locations.  The Library Lending Litter Kit program is widely used, and is in need of repair or replacement of supplies, as well as a fresh logo and marketing to reach additional library patrons.

Having supplies for a litter cleanup is a great way for families or neighbors to safely remove litter from the landscape.  If you’re a resident of Suffolk, we encourage you to go to your local library and “Check it out!”

Keep James City County Beautiful, $1,000 for Community Beautification
KJCCB currently works with Master Gardeners on two gardens on County property:  the Pollinator Garden at Veterans Park, and the Water-Wise Demonstration Garden at the Human Services Building. KJCCB will use grant funds to purchase plant markers for both gardens and an educational sign about the Water Wise garden, to replace an outdated sign with no information.

Helping the public to identify and learn more about native plants is a great way to increase the number of backyards that include native plants for enjoyment by pollinators and neighbors!

askHRgreen, $1,000 for Litter Prevention
askHRgreen.org is a public awareness program of the 17 cities and counties of Hampton Roads that encourages environmental stewardship among all residents in southeastern Virginia.  They host hundreds of small local cleanups throughout the year.  A lack of litter grabbers and other cleanup supplies has been a barrier in the past to recruiting volunteers. Funds from this grant will be used to purchase 150 litter grabbers and 40 five-gallon buckets to create 40 additional litter kits for public use.

In a coastal region like Hampton Roads, litter on the ground almost always travels into a waterway becoming marine debris and harming natural systems.  The litter kits will enable volunteers to clean up land areas and water ways!

Clean Valley Council, $1,000, for Recycling
CVC will host their first “Reuse it and Repair it Fair,” where residents with lightly damaged or broken items will connect with local skilled volunteers to fix them. Items such as electronics, bicycles, clothing, shoes, small appliances, musical instruments, athletic equipment, and jewelry will be accepted.  Grant funds will be used to purchase basic tools and supplies, and will include activities for children, enabling them to learn how to accomplish simple repairs.

Entrance to the Fair will be free. Local nonprofit partners will be on site as well, offering their services to the community.

Congratulations to our Fall Green Grant Awardees!  This brings our total to 35 awards for Green Grants projects and programs during 2023 – which means we’re halfway to our goal of supporting 70 community projects to celebrate our 70th Anniversary.

We’ll be announcing more information soon about the remaining 35 Green Gifts that we’re giving away this fall!

Live band at JamPacked

Waste-Free JamPacked Event a Success!

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We had a blast at the JamPacked Craft Beer and Music Festival on Brown’s Island this past weekend!  Keep Virginia Beautiful was pleased to be invited by WestRock, who presented the festival, as the charity beneficiary.  The craft beer and music festival was a win-win-win-win event:

     Win #1:  WestRock provides innovative packaging solutions with sustainability in mind, and had many of their craft beer clients on hand to show off and talk about their products;

     Win #2:  JamPacked was a model example of a waste-free large-scale event for others to use for future planning;

     Win #3:  Keep Virginia Beautiful was the charity beneficiary of the event, and we also had a chance to meet people and give away stuff to help others reduce waste;

     Win #4:  The public got to experience how a large event can be waste-free by just doing things a little differently!

There was the expectation that the because the event was waste-free, it would be clean and green, an attitude that was welcomed by the people we met there — they didn’t want to see Brown’s Island full of litter, or bags of trash going to the landfill, or the ground littered with cigarette butts and wrappers at the end of the evening.  The grass was refreshingly free of littered paper and plastic, and people were happy to use the recycling bins, cigarette butt containers, and composting bins, even with thousands of people in attendance!

Here’s some examples of the sustainable practices that we experienced at JamPacked. You can use these ideas at your next sports, school, faith community, or family event to create your own waste-free celebration:

Paperless ticketing: With most everyone having access to a cell phone, it’s easier than ever to eliminate paper tickets.  Free or low-cost platforms such as Eventbrite will walk you through the process.

Canned beverages:  Using soft drinks or adult beverages that come in aluminum cans means they can be recycled instead of sent to the landfill.

Paperboard food packaging:  Ditch the Styrofoam and plastic plates, cups, and utensils; aim for bamboo, paperboard, and other recyclable products.  In the Richmond area, N.O.P.E. (Natural Organic Process Enterprises) is a composting center.  Some restaurants accept food scraps and compostable products.

Composting food scraps:  The Green Team members worked hard at JamPacked to help people sort out their food scraps from the compostable plates and utensils.  It’s easy to compost food waste in your own backyard with the correct location for sun and water, with or without a purchased bin.

No single-use plastic bottles of water:  Say good-bye to the expense and hassle of getting cases of single-use bottled water at the store!  Refillable water bottles are attractive, sturdy, hold a greater quantity, and refillable!  You can even use refillable bottles as a giveaway (or fundraiser)  in team colors for your special event.

Pocket ashtrays: or other fire-proof containers to collect cigarette butts; the butts we collected will be sent to TerraCycle at no cost to be recycled into a park bench!

Thank you again WestRock for showing RVA the positive impact of a waste-free event, as well as the supporting sponsors, the vendors, bands, breweries, and guests who attended!

Clean grassy areas with thousands of people in attendance, but no litter
Clean, un-littered grassy areas, even with thousands of people in attendance

Band playing on stage at JamPacked
The music was jammin’ all day long!

Beer tents with customers
32 craft breweries using sustainable packaging, served thirsty guests

Tent with a tie-dyed smile
Dirty Dan’s Delectable Dyes

 

 

 

Words "Plastic Free July" on the globe, surrounded by plastic trash

It’s Plastic Free July

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Words "Plastic Free July" on the globe, surrounded by plastic trashAccording to the Keep America Beautiful 2020 nationwide litter study, litter made from plastic comprises 38.6 percent of all litter across waterways and roadways combined.  Plastic films, both general use films and food-packaging films, such as candy wrappers or snack bags, represent the second and third most littered items in America.

The most common single-use plastics are plastic bags, water bottles, takeaway coffee cups, and plastic straws. Take a peek in your recycling bin to see if you’re using a lot of those items.  And if you have to look into your trash can to check for those items, please educate yourself about recycling!

Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that has a goal to see a world free of plastic waste. From humble beginnings in 2011, the award-winning Plastic Free July campaign is the result of years of hard work. They believe, as do we, that small changes add up to a big difference.

We hope that you’re already aware of things you can easily do to avoid single-use plastic immediately, such as carrying a refillable water bottle and using recycled bags for groceries and other shopping.  But if you or someone you know needs help getting started, here’s a guide.

If you’re ready for the next step, you can start with some personal care items.  Ditch the bottle of shampoo for a shampoo bar.  Check your local farmers market for hand-made bars in wonderful scents that you can just lather up in your hands and use to wash your hair.  Same with the liquid hand soap and body gels – the bar soaps offer quality ingredients with paper or cardboard wrappers that can be recycled.  You can even get shaving bars to use with safety razors, which are generally made of stainless steel and have replaceable (and recyclable) blades.

Plastic Free July was started by Rebecca Prince-Ruiz and a small team in local government in Western Australia, and is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world.  We hope you’ll join millions of people across the globe to make the commitment to reducing plastic pollution in July, AND all year round!

Green Grants Logo

Congratulations to all of the 2023 Green Grant Awardees!

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Green Grants LogoWe continue to be impressed by the plans and ideas that organizations want to put into action with a Green Grant award.  The judging panel has such a challenging task to evaluate and score all the grant applications.  We sincerely appreciate the work they do, both in their professional fields, and as a volunteer for our organization.  Thank you Green Grant judges!

Thank you to everyone who submitted an application. We wish we could fund them all!  We’re encouraged by the work of volunteers at civic groups, nonprofits, faith-based communities, and others that are striving to improve the natural and scenic environment of the Commonwealth.

And of course the program wouldn’t be possible without the funding and support of our sponsors:  Altria, WestRock, and Village Bank!  We are very grateful for their generous and continued support!

Altria Logo         WestRock Logo      Logo for Village Bank

Below we’ve listed the organizations that were awarded a 2023 Green Grant, along with the category of their project or program, the award amount, and the region of the state where their work will be done.  You can click on the organization’s name to link to our website’s blog announcement.  We hope you’ll visit the announcements of this year’s awards, you’re sure to be inspired!

6/1/2023 Social Music LLC Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/2/2023 Art Guild of Greene Recycling $1,000 Central Virginia
6/3/2023 Pulaski County Litter $1,000 Southwest Virginia
6/4/2023 Verdant Richmond for Maymont Community Garden Community Beautification $1,000 Central Virginia
6/5/2023 Work of Life at Handley High School Recycling $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/6/2023 Eastern Shore of Virginia Waste Watchers Litter $500 Eastern Shore
6/7/2023 Hanover Master Gardeners Association Community Beautification $750 Central Virginia
6/8/2023 Wakefield Country Day School’s Leo Club Litter $500 Central Virginia
6/9/2023 Clean Essex Committee Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Central Virginia
6/10/2023 Fairview Farm and Homestead Foundation Community Beautification $500 Southwest Virginia
6/11/2023 Church of the Holy Family Recycling $750 Hampton Roads
6/12/2023 Bay School Community Arts Center Community Beautification $1,000 Central Virginia
6/13/2023 Town of St. Paul Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Southwest Virginia
6/14/2023 Lake Anna Business Partnership Litter $1,000 Central Virginia
6/15/2023 Department of Military Affairs / Fort Barfoot Recycling $1,000 Central Virginia
6/16/2023 The Greater Scotts Addition Association Litter $1,000 Central Virginia
6/17/2023 City of Salem Community Beautification $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/18/2023 Lynnhaven River NOW Litter $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/19/2023 The City of Newport News Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/20/2023 Carroll County Recycling $500 Southwest Virginia
6/21/2023 Friends of the Middle River Litter $500 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/22/2023 Piedmont Arts Community Beautification $1,000 Southwest Virginia
6/23/2023 City of Manassas Park Cigarette Litter Prevention $500 Northern Virginia
6/24/2023 Kiptopeke State Park Litter $1,000 Eastern Shore
6/25/2023 Keep Middlesex Beautiful Recycling $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/26/2023 The Mariners’ Museum and Park Community Beautification $1,000 Hampton Roads
6/27/2023 Friends of Leesylvania State Park Litter $1,000 Northern Virginia
6/28/2023 Page County Solid Waste & Recycling Cigarette Litter Prevention $1,000 Shenandoah Mtns/Valley
6/29/2023 RVA Rapid Transit Litter $750 Central Virginia
6/30/2023 Town of Independence Community Beautification $750 Southwest Virginia
Keep Middlesex Beautiful Logo

Keep Middlesex Beautiful Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Keep Middlesex Beautiful LogoKeep Middlesex Beautiful is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant to improve Recycling at community gatherings, as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Keep Middlesex Beautiful (KMB) is a volunteer committee chartered and sponsored by the Middlesex County Board of Supervisor, established to serve, support, and inspire a litter-free and beautiful Middlesex County. Their initiatives for this year are to reset waste management culture within the County by implementing county-wide clean ups and reinstating recycling programs at events in the County. KMB serves a rich diversity of people in small villages, towns, and rural farmlands throughout Middlesex County.

Plastic plate of oyster with drink in aluminum canFunds provided by the Green Grant award will be used to purchase recycling receptacles to be used at major events in Middlesex County, including the Urbanna Oyster Festival, Wings and Wheels, Arts in the Middle, and Deltaville’s Groovin’ Concert Series. They will also install visual aids at each recycling bin to identify which items are recyclable, as well as entryway signs at the event venues to help patrons understand the importance of recycling. These efforts will make a significant impact on the overall reduction of recyclable items being sent to county landfills.

Keep Middlesex County Beautiful plans to implement and record the amount of items recycled at each event.  A secondary goal will be to, where possible, eliminate single-use plastic items, and where not possible, ensure proper selection of plastics to improve overall recycling rates.

Logo for Carroll County, Virginia

Carroll County Awarded a $500 Recycling Green Grant

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Logo for Carroll County, VirginiaCarroll County is awarded a $500 Green Grant in the Recycling Category as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.0

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

Carroll County is a local government organization located in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains in far Southwest Virginia.  The County offers an array of activities, scenery, and has deeply rooted Appalachian culture. Their recreation department offers programs and facilities to improve the quality of life for all citizens of Carroll County along with our visitors.

Brick wall construction of restroom facilities at Carroll County Splash Pad Recreational ParkThe focus of their Green Grant application was to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles of water used at the new Carroll County Splash Pad / Recreational Park. With many citizens visiting the park daily, they will install a water refilling station and encourage guests to bring reusable water bottles. Funds from the Green Grant award will be used toward the purchase and installation of a water refill station near the restrooms.

Congratulations Carroll County!  Thank you for tackling the statewide concern of over-use and improperly disposal of single-use plastics.  Offering a bottle refill stations gives residents and guests at the Splash Pad an opportunity to get needed summer hydration in a responsible way!

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