Johnston Elementary Wins Chamber’s Recycling Contest

WOODSTOCK, GA — The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Going Green & Education Committees co-sponsored a two-day Plastic Bag Recycling Competition in partnership with Waste Management among 12 of Cherokee County’s Elementary Schools which collected over 167,000 plastic bags. Johnston Elementary collected 22,408 bags during the two-day event which brought them to a rate of 38.57 bags per student.

The winning homeroom from each elementary school was also presented with gifts provided by
Chamber Member restaurants including Chick-fil-A: Canton Riverstone, Canton Marketplace,
Woodstock Dwarf House, and Towne Lake; Frosty Frog Creamery & Cafe; IHOP of Woodstock; Kona Ice of Cherokee; and Shane’s Rib Shack: Holly Springs and Hickory Flat.

The following teachers and homerooms collected the most plastic bags within their respective elementary schools:

• Ms. Murnan’s fifth grade class of Bascomb Elementary School
• Ms. Lussier’s fourth grade class of Boston Elementary School
• Ms. Mendenhall’s first grade class of Clark Creek Elementary School
• Ms. Fowler’s kindergarten class of Free Home Elementary School
• Ms. Carroll’s fifth grade class of Hickory Flat Elementary School
• Ms. Scanlon’s kindergarten class of Johnston Elementary School
• Ms. Fisher’s fifth grade class of Knox Elementary School
• Ms. Collins’ fourth grade class of Little River Elementary School
• Ms. Fann’s third grade class of Macedonia Elementary School
• Ms. Sullivan’s fifth grade class of Mountain Road Elementary School
• Ms. Barker’s pre-k class of RM Moore Elementary School
• Ms. Spain’s fifth grade class of Sixes Elementary School

Through a grant from Waste Management, the chamber was able to fund this elementary school recycling initiative. The grant monies were used to purchase a bench for the winning school made from recycled plastics along with an attached plaque, which recognizes the school as the winner of the 2019 Elementary School Recycling Competition sponsored by Waste Management and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.

Through further partnership, thousands of plastic bags were donated to MUST Ministries, Never Alone Food Pantry, Encompass Ministries - Papa’s Pantry, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank, who will use them to support their ongoing projects. These local food banks, along with local chamber member Little River United Methodist Church, donated their cargo vehicles and time toward the project on bag collection day. Once the food banks filled their supply rooms, the remainder of the bags were baled for recycling through partnership with many chamber member grocery stores.

The mission of the chamber's Going Green initiative is to encourage the community to implement green practices that conserve community resources while helping businesses thrive. To learn more about the chamber's initiative, or to download a recycling guide, visit CherokeeChamber.com or contact the chamber at 770-345-0400.