Peachtree City's efforts cited through statewide survey

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City was one of four Georgia cities ranked at the top of Georgia municipalities for its efforts to reduce solid waste entering landfills.

All cities in the state were judged on how they divert solid waste from landfills through efforts such as recycling programs. Over 15,000 trips have been made to the city's recycling center so far this year, said City Engineer Troy Besseche.

Last year, there were close to 23,000 trips to the recycling center reported, Besseche added.

“In a city of 33,000 people, that's a very high participation level,” Besseche noted. “I think that says something about our community.”

Besseche said the county-wide recycling efforts are keeping approximately 10 percent of solid waste from entering the landfill. Because several different waste hauling agencies operate in Peachtree City, there's no way to get city statistics, though Besseche believes the city is doing “a little better than the county, but not much.”

The recycling center, located on Rockaway Road just off Ga. Highway 74 South, is open Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Among the items accepted there are newspapers, magazines, aluminum beverage cans, corrugated cardboard, grass clippings, dried leaves and tree trunks from 3 to 12 inches in diameter with a four-foot maximum length.

A staff member from the city's public works department is on hand during operation hours to help residents coming to recycle their waste.

“It's a program that has been very successful for us,” Besseche said, noting that the recycling efforts do have a cost to the city. “We don't make any money off of it, but it does fulfill our obligation to the community.”

Peachtree City scored 13 of 15 points on the solid waste survey conducted by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. That score means the city is “making extra efforts to manage solid waste wisely,” according to DCA.

That doesn't mean that Peachtree City is about to rest on its laurels, though, Besseche said. In fact, the city is trying to find a larger location for its recycling site since the mulching operation takes up so much space at the Rockaway site.

A larger site would allow the city to accept more types of recyclable materials, Besseche said, adding that the city is looking at acquiring about 10 acres for the new site.

A Georgia law regarding solid waste requires communities to reduce the amount of solid waste entering the landfills by 25 percent, while Fayette County is currently at 10 percent and expects to get better, Besseche said.

The recycling efforts are promoted by Keep Fayette Beautiful, Besseche said. The group also goes to schools and other groups in the community to educate locals about recycling, he added.

Communities scoring between three and five points on the survey are considered to be making minimal efforts to manage solid waste. A score between six and eight points garners an adequate rating.

To see how other communities fared, go to DCA's web site at www.dca.state.ga.us and click on community indicators and then individual community profiles.