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Mark Your Calendars: Fall 2010 Electronics Recycling

Posted in Community, Events, Sustainability on September 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

The Fall 2010 Decatur Electronics Recycling Day is set for Saturday, October 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone can bring their old electronics to the Decatur High School parking lot at the corner of North McDonough Sreet. and West Howard Avenue.

Unfortunately, styrofoam cannot be accepted this year, but TV’s can still be recycled for $10 cash, exact change.

If you’re interested in volunteering at Electronics Recycling Day contact Sandy Johnson at 404-377-5571. For more information, read Decatur’s Electronics Recycling Day FAQs.

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Need Books?

Posted in Community, Events, Sustainability, Uncategorized on September 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Yes, we have the AJC Decatur Book Festival coming up this weekend and there will be plenty of authors to see and hear and new books to purchase.

However, there is also the annual Friends of the Decatur Library Book Sale on Saturday, September 4 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on the front lawn of the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street. (In case of rain, the sale will be inside the library).

The line forms early as potential purchasers look through items donated from the bookshelves of others – a perfect example of both sustainability and “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Check it out. All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Decatur Library and their special events for the community such as the Peter Rabbit Tea and the music series.

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New Incentives for Green Buildings

Posted in Sustainability on July 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

The Decatur City Commission voted last week to adopt a new policy that provides incentives for green buildings. Construction permits which include one or more of the following components are now eligible to receive expedited permit review and possibly some public recognition:

Green building certifications (LEED, EarthCraft, ENERGY STAR)
Affordable and workforce housing facilities that are certified as EarthCraft House, EarthCraft Multifamily, ENERGY STAR, or LEED for Homes
Solar energy for new construction projects
Watersense certification for new homes

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption in the country. By providing incentives to build “green”, the City of Decatur hopes to encourage builders to incorporate sustainable practices which can reduce energy and water usage, improve indoor air quality, and set a positive example for the community.

Check out the entire text of the policy by clicking HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact the City’s Resource Conservation Coordinator, Lena Stevens by phone at 404-370-4102 or by email at lena.stevens@decaturga.com.

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Grand Opening of the Saturday Decatur Farmer's Market!

Posted in Events, Sustainability on May 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Flags are posted in the new location to help shoppers find the Saturday market

This Saturday, May 15th, the Decatur Farmers Market is celebrating the grand opening of its new market at the corner of North McDonough and Trinity from 9a.m. – noon. Free parking will be available and the market is only a short walk from the Decatur Square. This offers a great opportunity for shoppers to incorporate some locally grown food into their weekend grocery lists. The Decatur Farmers Market offers locally grown fresh organic and sustainable produce, flowers, and other organic and sustainable food products such as bread, jam, and sauces.

Now there are two opportunities to try the Decatur Farmers Market each week:

Wednesday 4p.m. – 7p.m. (Summer hours), Bank of America parking lot at the corner of Commerce Drive and Church Street

Saturday 9a.m. – noon, corner of North McDonough and Trinity (across the street from the Chik-Fil-A on N. McDonough in downtown Decatur)

International Compost Awareness Week

COMPOST AWARENESS EVENT:
“Recycling for a Greener Tomorrow”

The grand opening of the new market will feature a compost demonstration event hosted by the DeKalb County Natural Resource Management Office – Keep DeKalb Beautiful, DeKalb Extension Service, and the DeKalb Master Gardeners.

Demonstration tables will include:

How to grow your vegetables using compost in your soil,
The difference between Mulch and Compost, and information soil sampling,
How to obtain, manage, and use an Outdoor Compost Bin,
Vermicomposting,
FREE Compost Bin give-a-ways,
$5.00 tree seedlings, and
Make your own Terrarium with compost.

For more information, visit the Decatur Farmers Market website, or email info@decaturfarmersmarket.com.

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Decatur Branding Success!

Posted in Community, Sustainability on April 22, 2010 | 1 Comment »

I was flipping through Creative Loafing when a little City of Decatur logo caught my eye.

C reative Loafing photo

The photo captures a quirky moment at last weekend’s Sweetwater Festival (that didn’t take place in Decatur). Looks like one of the festival attendees must have volunteered at our MLK Jr. Service Project in January – or at least she knows someone who did – because that’s the only way you can score one of those sweet City of Decatur Volunteer water bottles. Makes you wish you had one, doesn’t it?

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Two Great Ways to Support Local & Healthy Foods for Decatur Schools!

Posted in Community, Sustainability on April 12, 2010 | 1 Comment »

The Decatur Farm to School Initiative is hosting two events in April to raise money to integrate Farm to School principles into the curriculum and the cafeteria. The first event, in conjunction with Earth Day, an April 17th viewing of the film Dirt! The Movie in the new Decatur High School Auditorium. Dirt! The Movie is an Official Selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival (visit www.dirtthemovie.org for more details). Tickets are $5 per person and benefit Decatur Farm to School. Ticket sales start that evening at the DHS auditorium from 7-7:30pm and a brief discussion session will follow the movie. Be sure to check out our concession stand of locally made goodies, including special treats provided by Nectar, and Farm to School t-shirts for sale.

The second event is a Dine Out for Farm to School on Tuesday, April 20th from 5-9pm. Leon’s Full Service, Steinbecks, The Iberian Pig, Cakes & Ale, Brick Store Pub, and Universal Joint will host this event and will donate a percentage of the night’s proceeds to Decatur Farm to School. Make plans now to come out early with the family, or grab your friends for a night out! Each restaurant will serve up Farm-to-School menu items using local ingredients, and Cakes & Ale will also have a kids menu item from 5-7pm.

We need everyone to come out to help these two events raise funds for healthy foods in our schools, so make plans now to see Dirt! The Movie on April 17th and to dine out on April 20th!

Volunteers and restaurants owners who are interested in supporting the event can contact Kristin Allin of Cakes & Ale at kristin@cakesandalerestaurant.com for additional information.
Additional information on the Decatur Farm to School initiative can be accessed at www.decaturfarmtoschool.org.

Decatur Farm to School partners include Georgia Organics, the Oakhurst Community Garden, the Decatur Education Foundation, and Decatur Active Living.

Update from Little Shop of Stories Owner Diane, 4/13/10: At Little Shop of Stories, we believe that healthy eaters make healthy readers, and that’s why we are supporting the Decatur Farm to School Initiative. Eat at participating restaurants on April 20th and then bring in your receipt to get 20% off your Little Shop purchase.

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Free CFL Bulb Exchange at Greenfest

Posted in Sustainability on April 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Atlanta Light Bulbs, Inc. and the City of Decatur are partnering to bring a light bulb exchange to Greenfest 2010. Greenfest is being held May 1st on the Downtown Square. The event kicks off at 3pm with live music and ends at 9:30pm.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs can pay for themselves in as little as 6 months!

Attendees will receive 1 compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb in exchange for signing an agreement to discard 1 regular, incandescent bulb when they get home. However, if attendees bring an incandescent bulb to the event, they can receive 2 CFL bulbs! According to the Environmental Protection Agency, CFL bulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times as long. The average CFL will save about $30 over its life, and pay for itself within 6 months.

Supplies are limited, so come early to get your free CFLs. The light bulb exchange will last while supplies do. The City of Decatur would like to thank Atlanta Light Bulbs, Inc. for sponsoring this event. Learn more about their company at www.atlantalightbulbs.com

Please contact Lena Stevens, Resource Conservation Coordinator for the City of Decatur with any questions at lena.stevens@decaturga.com or 404-370-4102.

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Winding Up for Spring

Posted in Sustainability on April 2, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Decatur resident, Nancie Sill winds up her Smart Car

You may have seen Nancie Sill driving her silver Smart Car around Decatur recently. If so, maybe you noticed a silver key on the back that actually turns as she drives! How cool is that? Nancie shows us that promoting fuel efficiency can be fun. The “Smart Fortwo” model of the Smart Car was rated to be the most fuel efficient two-seater car by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in their 2010 Fuel Economy Guide. It is rated to get 33 miles per gallon (MPG) in city driving conditions, and 41MPG on the highway.

Photo Credit: Easy Living Pedicab Facebook Page

As Spring finally breaks here in Decatur, it’s a great time to wind ourselves up and start taking advantage of some alternative modes of transportation. One option is the East Living Pedicabs. Pedicabs are three wheeled taxis consisting of a driver platform and passenger carriage. This service is great for rides to or from the MARTA station with your airport luggage, special date nights :), your local shopping trip, or just a fun tour around town. Rides start at $5, while tours start at $10. Just call 920-371-CABS to reserve a pedicab for a pick up or tour.

Students Promote Safe Routes to School Program

How about that morning commute to school with the kids? Consider participating in our Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. SRTS is a national program that empowers communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and routine activity. The goal is to get more students and adults active to help improve fitness levels, reduce congestion around schools, and improve air quality around schools. Decatur has had an active SRTS program for several years.

This Spring, remember that how we live and travel affects not only our physical well-being but our mental and emotional state as well. The City of Decatur is working to develop a safe, integrated transportation system that promotes bicycling and walking as a viable alternative to automobile travel, increased connectivity between neighborhoods and destinations, and equity for users of all ages and abilities. You can read more about our goals and plans to promote complete streets in the Community Transportation Plan.

Now get out there and enjoy this beautiful weather!

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Green Business Highlight: Nectar in Oakhurst

Posted in Sustainability on February 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

I had the pleasure of meeting Gaurav Malhotra yesterday, owner of Nectar in Oakhurst. Gaurav is very passionate about sustainability, and has undertaken several measures to ensure that his business is as “green” as possible. For those of you who may not be familiar with Nectar, they serve fresh raw juices, smoothies, handcrafted sandwiches and gourmet ice cream. I highly recommend their smoothies!

Nectar’s goal is to “serve food with love and without compromising the integrity of our planet.” They were recently featured on My Fox Atlanta, which highlighted their partnership with the Oakhurst Community Garden to compost food scraps. They also strive to buy local food whenever possible, recycle, and use environmentally friendly take-out containers. For you wheatgrass fans out there, you can enjoy it guilt free because it’s locally grown!

Try a piece of banana bread made from bananas that were slightly too ripe for smoothies.

Want some ice cream? Why not take it to go in a compostable container?

I give two big sustainable thumbs up to Nectar for their efforts. If you have questions about how your Decatur business could be more sustainable, or want to know more about other efforts in the City of Decatur, please see my contact information below.

Lena Stevens
Resource Conservation Coordinator
City of Decatur
lena.stevens@decaturga.com

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City of Decatur 'Rocks Out' at Electronics Recycling Day

Posted in Events, Sustainability on October 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Lacree, a Decatur High School student, rocks out on a recycled Guitar Hero controller

The City of Decatur hosted another successful Electronics Recycling event this past Saturday. Volunteers (like the one seen rocking out in the picture to the left) helped us to unload every type of electronics imaginable. Cell phones, cords, televisions, computer monitors… you name it, we collected it. I have never seen such an amazing amount of stuff in my life!

I want to take a moment to give a BIG thank you to City staff and all of our lovely volunteers that helped make the day run like a well-oiled machine. Everyone was so happy and hardworking, and it really reminded me why the City of Decatur is such a great place to live and work.

This event is held twice per year, and is not limited to City of Decatur residents. The main contractor, Bionew, dismantles all of the materials received in the United States down to the bare components, be it plastic, metal, circuit boards, CRT tubes, and any other e-waste/scrap, then the materials are sent downstream for recycling.

Fun story… a woman stopped by at 1:00PM saying that she has accidently given us her cell phone at 9:30AM. I told her that we could look for it, but that there was a very slim chance we would find it. As we looked through the bin, one of our employees realized that the phone had been recovered by another employee who had noticed that the phone was still on. We were able to return the phone, and disaster was averted for a very lucky young lady!