A big thank you to all our 14 amazing volunteers—Stephen Boyd, Tony Carroll, Tony Daniels, Jon Darling, Jess Fearrington, Spring Jackson, Randy James, Art Lituchy, Mike Petruska, Eddie Price, Marilyn Racine, Karin Ritter, Maarten Simon-Thomas, and Maggie Tunstall! Thanks to their efforts, we processed 215 vehicles—more than one per minute—and managed to handle an impressive 4,080 pounds of paper, more than two tons! This paper is now on its way to being recycled into toilet paper at a production facility in Georgia. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support of the FHA Board in funding the Shimar Recycling Shredding Truck.
Recycled paper is proven to save trees and other resources: Recycling two tons (4,080 lbs) of paper has a significant positive impact on the environment. It can save 34 trees, 760 gallons of oil, 6 cubic yards of landfill space, 8,000 kWh of energy, and 14,000 gallons of water. Additionally, the 34 trees preserved can absorb about 500 lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, while burning that same ton of paper would release 3,000 lbs of carbon dioxide. Overall, recycled paper generates 74% less air pollution compared to paper made from raw materials.
The North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department sent three members, who did a much appreciated job checking fire extinguishers, as well as sharing fire prevention tips.
The Chatham County Sheriff's Department collected just over 20 pounds of no longer needed medications during this event, which is a lot of medicines that won't end up polluting nearby water sources including Jordan Lake—our source of drinking water. The medications go to an approved commercial incineration facility for environmentally sensitive disposal.
Planning ahead, consider circling the third Saturday in May (May 16, 2026) on your calendar, when we will have the opportunity to replicate and perhaps expand the yield of our fall 2026 community recycling efforts.
Jason Welsch
Moderator, Fearrington Green Scene
