The results are in:
21,278 pounds of hard-to-recycle household items were collected in Clarksville back in March.
Impressive, to say the least.
Within that cumulative number, there were 4,140 pounds of discarded tires collected during the Springtime Recycling Roundup, as well as 7,783 pounds of unused electronics, 4,140 pounds of mattresses, 2,140 pounds of scrap metal ... and we could go on.
The results show that, Clarksvillians really stepped up to the plate, after the Tennessee Environmental Council selected Clarksville as one of 10 locations throughout the state for its Recycling Roundup events.
Local residents were encouraged to bring their hard-to-recycle items to the Clarksville Campus of Nashville State Community College, on Saturday March 4, between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Residents were encouraged to search their homes, sheds and garages for electronics, tires, certain appliances, scrap metal, textiles, mattresses, sheets of styrofoam, and more, that could be recycled.
Carlye Sommers and Bill Harpel, who are advisors to the City of Clarksville’s Sustainability Board, helped to coordinate the local recycling event, after the Board successfully submitted an application to TEC for a Recycling Roundup. "We knew this would be a great opportunity for the citizens of Clarksville to dispose of hard-to-recycle items in a sustainable manner,” Sommers said.
Clarksville's competitive position in the statewide measure of city-by-city recycling weights gives an indication of how well the community responded.
Of six Recycling Roundup events that have been held thus far across the state, Sommers says Clarksville's total recycling contribution ranks third-best. As the state's fifth-largest city, Clarksville has been outdistanced thus far by only Tennessee's two biggest cities, Nashville and Memphis. "Plus, Nashville collected less than 3,000 pounds more than us, and we were actually close to being in second place right now," she said.
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts also encouraged the community to use the March event as an opportunity to clear roadsides of all trash, including anything that could be saved and recycled.
That appeal to keep making Clarksville beautiful is ongoing.
See a video about the Clarksville Recycling Roundup here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD-_1XhMKpE