Community Corner

Eco-collection Event Draws Big Crowd

Buckhead residents bring electronic items, paint, paper for recycling

Basements, garages and storage spaces across Buckhead are much cleaner now.

Despite threatening skies and intermittent rain, a big crowd of residents participated in the first Buckhead Eco-Collection Event at 92 W. Paces Ferry Road. At one point, the traffic backed up along West Paces Ferry and down Slaton Drive. Thanks to the event's smooth organization, the line of cars quickly smoothed out.

"It's fabulous," said Sally Silver, chairperson of Neighborhood Planning Unit B and secretary of Livable Buckhead, the organization that put on the event along with LiveThrive. "This is a great amount of participation for our first effort."

Find out what's happening in Buckheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A total of 500 residents, the full number that could be handled, preregistered for the event,  bringing old TVs, computer equipment, cellphones, speakers, paint, paper and other items. Workers with environmental companies collected the discarded stuff and separated it for recycling. A separate collection was held for businesses Friday, drawing 50 participants.

Buckhead city council members Howard Shook (District 7) and Yolanda Adrean (District 8) sponsored the event. 

Find out what's happening in Buckheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I think it's great that all of the people are turning out on a rainy day," said Shook, who greeted cars at the start of the line and thanked residents. "Everybody's in a good mood, and you don't typically see everyone in a good mood when they're waiting in line and on an errand. I think everyone understands the importance of this."

Adrean, who handed out gift bags, said "I'm so impressed with the organization. I think the volunteers did a wonderful job. Everybody has a big smile on their face and want to know how often we can do it. They're especially eager to get rid of paint."

Participants also gave donations that will be used to fund environmental programs at Buckhead public school kindergartens, said  Buckhead resident Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe, executive director of LiveThrive, which organized the event.

Armistead Whitney of Garden Hills said he brought "a lot of outdated electronics, cables, speakers, bills for shredding — a lot of stuff that that was sitting in the basement." In regard to electronic equipment, he said, "It's hard to believe how quickly this stuff becomes outdated."

Adrean said she hopes the Eco-Collection can become an annual affair. "Like anything else it's a matter of finances." She said that she and Shook put in $10,000 each for the event, which cost a total of $60,000. A number of corporate sponsors participated.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Buckhead