News Flash

Groovin’ by the Bay Litter- Free Event Cleanups, August 25 & September 1, Sundays, 5pm – 8pm, Buckroe Beach Park, 100 S 1st St, Hampton. REALLY need more volunteers for each Sunday evening for the rest of the summer. Contact hccc@hampton.gov for more information. Sign up for all the evenings or just one or two!

International Coast Cleanups, September 1 – October 31, various locations in Hampton. Need volunteers to be site captains and cleanup crew members for each site. Most cleanups will last no more than two hours. Land and water sites available. Boating cleanup volunteers must provide their own boat and have their own life jackets. Contact causink@hampton.gov for more information.

Clean City Award Nominations: Do you know someone (individual or group) who works tirelessly to make our city clean and green? Nominate your environmental heroes at http://bit.ly/CleanCityAwardNomination. Nominees will be invited to the annual volunteer recognition dinner on October 24, and they might win an award! For more information hccc@hampton.gov or 757-727-1130. Deadline for nominations is September 6, so get those nominations in!

Interstate Interchange Cleanup Volunteers Needed! We need adult volunteers who HATE the litter on our interstate ramps to help Public Works clean it up about twice a month on Saturdays starting in October. Public Works will provide safety measures, HCCC will provide equipment and transportation to the ramps along with all the appreciation we can give you. Contact hccc@hampton.gov for more information. Sign up for one ramp or all of them! We just want to get those nasty things cleaned up!

Seize The Bay Trash-to-Art Show Call for Artists: The third biennial Seize the Bay trash to art show is about to launch! Sponsored by Hampton Waterways Restoration Project [HWRP] and Hampton University Museum, and supporting the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Hampton University's oyster restoration program to clean our waterways. Artists are asked to create artwork that celebrates the Bay, and if possible, to use "found objects", aka trash, in the pieces. Artwork would be donated and auctioned off at the show November 2-9, 2019 at the Hampton University Museum on HU's campus. Open to all! Pieces created for the previous two shows were incredible and everyone is looking forward to what you've got this year! Here’s a link to the Facebook Album showing the 2017 show: http://bit.ly/SeizeTheBayArtShowAlbum.

Contact causink@hampton.gov with any questions. Thank you all for your help in the past and in advance for this year!

Check Out & Clean Up! Did you know you could check out cleanup equipment from our libraries? You can clean up your street, your neighborhood, or a nearby park! Yes, you CAN! Try it out! Ask at your favorite library branch! Have you tried it yet?

YARDS Contest Nominations: Do you know of a beautiful yard you think should be Yard of the Month? Nominate your favorite yards at http://bit.ly/YARDSNomination. YARDS yards are beautiful, good for the environment, and good for their neighborhood and the city. For more information, hccc@hampton.gov. For more information and for online resources, go to https://hampton.gov/929/YARDS. LAST YARDS Judging of the season is September 9, so get those nominations in!

Recycle Right Tip of the Day! Did you know you know… metal containers are made from ores that are mined throughout the world? Metal ores are non-renewable resources, and mining them results in a lot of land destruction. All metal are highly recyclable, but only steel and aluminum can be recycled through our city recycling program.

• All metal food and beverage containers are recyclable.
• Recycle Wrongs: bicycles, car parts, screws and nails, tools, lawn chairs, appliances DO NOT belong in your recycling container or city drop-off containers. Many kinds of scrap metal can be take to private recyclers, but only metal food and beverage containers go in city recycling.
• Recycle Rights: food cans, coffee cans, beverage cans, disposable aluminum baking pans (including pie pans), aluminum foil, cookie tins. Just rinse, wash, wipe, or drain to remove food debris and liquids.

If you have questions, ask 311 or HCCC (hccc@hampton.gov).

Plastic Bag Recycling: You CAN recycle plastic bags and wrap, but ONLY at store or civic organization drop-offs. As a matter of fact, you can drop them off at Hampton’s community gardens or HCCC to help earn plastic benches for the community gardens. The locations are: North Phoebus Community Center, 249 W. Chamberlin Avenue; Phoebus, 124 S. Hope St.; Buckroe, 710 Buckroe Avenue; or HCCC, 1296 Thomas Street. The Hampton Master Gardeners collect them at the Bluebird Gap Farm Arboretum as well. And if you know some Master Naturalists, they'll take them! When school starts, many schools will accept them.

Clean & Green Workplaces Tips: Clean and green workplaces are a critical part of our community's ambiance and economy! What are some of the markers of a business that enhances our community's physical environment? Here are some thoughts:

• Litter-free efforts apparent - the premises are free of litter, there are trash and recycling containers for customers and passersby, maybe even a sign or two that encourages people to keep the business clean.
• Attractive premises - the business just looks nice and neat! The business looks well-cared for and welcoming.
• Contributions to community - the business openly supports community organizations and causes, they're a proud part of the community.  
• Recycling and/or waste reduction efforts - the business recycles its boxes and other recyclables as well! They may have signs encouraging you to bring your own bags or they may not provide a bag (unless requested) if you buy only one item. They may let you know they use only non-toxic cleaning products.
• Trash and ash receptacles - the business has plenty of trash receptacles inside and out, and they have ash receptacles outside for smokers to use.
• Urban forestry and tree stewardship
• Sustainably landscaped areas
• Energy conservation practices
• Water conservation practices
• Heritage preservation