Decatur's Green Initiatives

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Four Things You Can Do Now To Help the Planet
1. Bag it – Use cloth bags for the grocery store and dry cleaner.

2. Stop Junk Mail – Contact the Direct Marketing Association at dmachoice.org/mps to remove your name from mailing lists of their members.

3. Shut Down – Turn off your computer anytime you are not on it, and eliminate the screen saver function, which uses more energy than the sleep mode.

4. A Mug of Your Own – Buy a reusable to-go mug and a bottle that you can refill with filtered tap water to use daily.

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What is the Greenspace Commission all about?
Learn how the commission works as an advisory and advocacy group for greenspace protection and enhancement in the city.

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Electronics Recycling Day, held twice a year in Decatur for the past three years, is a resounding answer to a distress call from our future. It is a community effort that, thanks to our outstanding volunteers, continues to be a success.

>Continue reading 

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Everybody Recycles!
City Commission Approves Multi-Family Recycling.

>Click here for full article

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A Tale of Two Bottles:
Where Does the Trash Go?
Have you ever thought about where your trash goes once it leaves your house? Or what happens to the things you place in the recycling bin?

>Click here to find out

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What is Environmental Sustainability?

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What Decatur Does
City policies and programs

Here’s what city departments and employees are doing to minimize the environmental impact of their activities:
• The city purchased its first hybrid vehicle.

• We’ve switched to green cleaning products in all city buildings.

• We print on both sides of the paper when making copies.

• The Revenue office switched from paper files to electronic records
storage.

• The Development department has reduced the number of plan copies required for permitting by sharing plans with the Engineering department.

• Reclaimed water is used to wash Public Works vehicles.

• Reclaimed water is used to put out the Bonfire in December sponsored by the Decatur Business Association.

• Sensors have been placed on bathroom lights so they do not run continuously.

• Employees bring in their own cups and mugs for use during the workday thus eliminating paper cups.

• We use biodegradable cups, plates, and cutlery.

• We’ve installed dual flush toilets and waterless urinals in all departments.

• All city offices recycle.

• We recycle fluorescent light bulbs.

• The Administrative Services department uses telecommuting and alternative work schedules to decrease the number of employees driving to work every day.

• Through a grant, the city obtained a mobile recycling station to use for recycling during events.

• We distributed reusable water bottles to volunteers during the MLK Jr. Service Project, thus preventing more than 800 water bottles from being sent to the landfill.