 Who Keeps Brownwood Beautiful? We all do, except when we don't. This statement isn't meant to point fingers or anything like that, it's just an observation. Thursday, I picked up litter with a great group from Kohler. We picked up 8 bags of litter including a hypodermic needle all in one short hour. As many cigarette butts as we picked up, there are still hundreds in that small area (approximately 900 sq. ft.), there was also a notable amount of disinfectant wipes in the vicinity. Despite the yucky part, it was a beautiful day and we had a pretty good time. I heard laughing and observed a little friendly competition in regards to who's bag was fuller. That was their second time volunteering with us and they are planning to schedule another day. If you have a group of family, friends, or coworkers that would like to do a cleanup let us know and we'll get you scheduled and set up. Maybe there's a neglected area you drive by everyday that you would like to get spruced up, or maybe your neighborhood could use some spiffing up... get a few people together and contact us. Other ways you can help reduce litter are making sure you secure trash in a designated receptacle and teach your children to do the same. Make sure there is not loose litter in the bed of your truck. Make sure your trash is securely bagged before you put it in the dumpster or trash can. And last but not least, don't litter. Hey, stuff happens... sometimes it's windy and there's no way on this green earth that you're going to be able to catch that napkin or receipt that just blew away... Don't beat yourself up, make a mental note of what went wrong so it doesn't happen next time and just pick up a couple of pieces of trash you come across that someone else dropped. So, as for the "except when we don't" part of the sentence above... while I was picking up trash, I sat an empty laundry jug down and when I came back to pick it up it was gone! It didn't seem windy enough to blow it away, I looked around and didn't see it... where did it go, I don't know, is it litter now too? Did I just inadvertently litter?! Where ever it is, I'll make a point not to be as careless next time. Hey, we're all in this together. Who keeps Brownwood Beautiful? We all do.
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Today is Texas Recycles Day and we have BIG NEWS!Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages and Keep Texas Beautiful announce
Texas Recycles Day Grant winners 
Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB), a company of Arca Continental, continues to affirm its commitment to sustainability and access to recycling by launching the Texas Recycles Day Grant, in partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep Texas Recycling. To commemorate Texas Recycles Day on November 15, CCSWB is awarding up to $15,000 in grants for improving recycling access and recycling programs execution across the state. Keep Texas Beautiful affiliates and Keep Texas Recycling members were invited to submit a proposal for monetary assistance to help strengthen their existing recycling programs. CCSWB is happy to celebrate the winners of the 2022 Texas Recycles Day grants: ● Alpine ● Brownwood ● Fort Clark Springs ● Midland ● San Marcos ● White Settlement When PET is recycled, it can be broken down, cleaned, and reground into small flakes used to make new PET bottles that can then be recycled over and over again. The process of making PET bottles with recycled PET material requires less energy and emits fewer GHGs than creating a new bottle using virgin, petroleum-based sources, as well as keeping these materials out of the landfill. Over the last two years, CCSWB has proactively invested in supporting recycling access, as well as innovation to design more resource-efficient packaging. This has allowed CCSWB to step up use of recycled PET content in its bottles – increasing from 1.9% in 2019 to 25% in 2020 and 50% from 2021 onward. “We are thankful for Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages who support our efforts to promote recycling in communities around Texas,” says Suzanne Kho, Executive Director of Keep Texas Beautiful. “Through our Keep Texas Recycling program, we work to support recycling in rural communities like those represented by the Texas Recycle Day Grant winners. We’re excited to see the impact these projects will have in expanding recycling in their communities.” [Quote from Affiliate / Keep Texas Recycling Member] About CCSWB Dallas-based Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB), a company of Arca Continental, is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. CCSWB produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola brands throughout Texas and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The company employs more than 8,000 associates who operate seven production plants and 37 distribution facilities, serving more than 31 million consumers. Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, Arca Continental is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world with an outstanding history spanning more than 91 years. Within its Coca-Cola franchise, Arca Continental serves a population of more than 118 million in the northern and western parts of Mexico, as well as the northern region of Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and the Southwestern United States. Arca Continental also produces and markets snacks under the brand names Wise in the United States, Bokados in Mexico and Inalecsa in Ecuador. For more information, visit www.cocacolaswb.com and www.arcacontal.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. About Keep Texas Beautiful Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Texas the best place to live, work, and play by deploying resources for community improvement projects, clean-ups, and youth engagement efforts across the state. Through our Keep Texas Recycling program, we provide assistance and education to support recycling in rural and underserved communities. Everything we do is focused on mobilizing volunteers to take action by providing them with tools, resources, and training. Our fieldwork includes research on best practices for litter reduction along with the development of community programs to prevent the flow of litter to the Gulf. Founded in 1967, Keep Texas Beautiful’s work is driven by its network of nearly 300 affiliate member communities, volunteers, and supporters that reach 17 million Texans annually. For more information and to find your closest affiliate, visit www.ktb.org. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. We've applied for the Texas Recycles Day grant...We've applied to the Texas Recycles Day grant, which would greatly boost our efforts to make the High School Recycling Program a success. If we are awarded the grant, our plans include: Purchasing recycling stations for the High School instead of loaning them and refreshing the labeling on our current recycling stations. Creating and printing handbooks on the implemented recycling system for the student council as well as other print material such as posters. Repair and paint our recycling trailer and using it for can/bottle drives at the school. The trailer will be parked at the school for use with the recycling program. KBB will empty it once per month. It will also be available for use at events, tournaments, etc. as we develop an available system for "green events." REFRESHING COMMUNITY PLAZA - UPDATE
Keep Brownwood Beautiful is partnering with Cornerstone Community Action AgencyWe are excited to be signed up as a Volunteer Station for their RSVP Program!
Make a Difference In Your Community Today. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) was created for the dual purpose of engaging persons 55 and older in volunteer service to meet critical community needs; and to provide a high-quality experience that will enrich the lives of volunteers. We believe that by volunteering, you are helping our community while staying active and healthy. For more information on RSVP and how to join, please call 325-625-4167 or visit the program page: www.cornerstonecaa.org/overcomers Cornerstone has a variety of programs that you can volunteer for. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) also needs volunteers. Become IRS Certified through free training! No experience Necessary! Volunteer to be a part of Greatness! Cornerstone Community Action Agency Contact: (325)625-4167 If you're already an RSVP member and want to volunteer, call 325-641-0533 Be sure to visit our Partners, Sponsors, & Donors page. KBB's Volunteer Opportunities Currently Include: (but are not limited to) Yard work through our Neighbor to Neighbor Program Flower bed maintenance Some office assistance (organizing, filing, updating website).
HIGH SCHOOL RECYCLING PROGRAM
Neighbor to Neighbor Program
KBB is getting a recycling trailer!
Refreshing Community Plaza
 Bee Relocation Update! Over the weekend the bees were safely removed and off to their new location! Keep Brownwood Beautiful is very thankful to everyone that pulled together on GoFundMe and with other donations to help these bees on their way. The process was interesting to watch (from a safe distance) and learn about. The beekeeper, Neal Nielson of JN Honey, has relocated the bees to an area separated/segregated from his other bees to be monitored for a full year in regards to their health and temperament. If the bees are aggressive their queen will be replaced to hopefully calm the colony. She may be replaced up to four times within that period. These bees were located deep within stacks of what appeared to be framed wall sections and years of trumpet vine overgrowth. Neil removed ten hives, heavy equipment was needed to access them. We found Neal on a list from Texas A&M Extension, listed under Brown County. ( https://txbeeinspection.tamu.edu/bee-removal/ ) Neal Nielson leases bees out for crop pollination and harvests beeswax and honey for sale. JN Honey is local honey and can be purchased at either of Honey Bee Natural Foods locations.
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