The City of Newport News has an integrated program of public awareness and action concerning stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Our programs employ cigarette litter awareness and other forms of litter as outreach and engagement opportunities. The program is a collaboration between various departments including Public Works Resource Recovery, Storm Water Management, Environmental Management System and Engineering. Litter of any form is an active challenge for our city. We have engaged our citizens, civic and faith-based communities and local business groups in awareness of cigarette litter specifically and litter in general as a stormwater pollution issue. We currently have five separate target areas where Cigarette Litter Prevention Programs in partnership with Keep America Beautiful and askHRgreen.org are in place and several are set to expand this year. We enjoy great partners in our community who share our passion for stewardship and dedication to maintaining a beautiful and clean Newport News.
Recently, the Newport News Recovery Operations Center recognized the Wawa Convenience Store located at 12093 Jefferson Avenue with the Newport News Clean Business Award winner for the Second Quarter of 2016. This was largely in recognition of their exemplary efforts in litter management and specifically cigarette litter on their very busy property. Their management staff takes great strides to ensure that the facility and property are litter free as they understand how important this is to the businesses remaining viable and attractive for customers. Their diligence and commitment is a fine example of the commitment of the corporate leadership, store management and their dedicated staff to the preservation and protection of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
For the past seven years, Newport News Resource Recovery and Newport News Waterworks have been partnering with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, Newport News Master Gardeners to hold Rain Barrel Workshops for residents of Hampton Roads. These workshops empower participants to harness rain water with rain barrels for irrigation and to reduce stormwater runoff from their properties. Hundreds of these rain barrels have been made since the program’s inception saving thousands of gallons of polluted runoff from entering local waterways and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. These
The Newport News Resource Recovery, Recovery Operations Center (ROC) , located at 330 Atkinson Way in Newport News, has been a focal point for stewardship and recovery efforts for the residents of Newport News for many years. Recent improvements to the facility include: an integrated household hazardous waste and electronics collection system, white goods recovery and extraction system, tire recovery program, larger bulk recovery containers for metals and co-mingled recyclables and an improved yard debris collection and management program. Our increase in size and convenience for our solid waste user fee customers has been very effective in reducing landfill costs while improving recycling opportunities for our residents.
The Resource Recovery Center, Recovery Operations Center, also houses one of the largest compost and mulch production facilities on the Peninsula. Compost is created on-site from leaves and other compostable yard waste and is certified by the US Compost Council and routinely tested by Virginia Tech and Penn State Universities. The compost is a very effective soil amendment, allowing soil to let in more air and water for healthier plants and increased absorption of stormwater runoff. Leaf mulch provides a cost effective soil erosion protection for areas under trees that preserves top soil and helps to reduce soil degradation. The mulch products that are created provide a cost effective beautification product that provides moisture retention and soil erosion protection. All of these products are available to any resident of Hampton Roads at competitive prices, For more information, click here or call 757-886 7947.
Blog post contributed by Daniel A. Baxter, Business Recycling Coordinator, NIMS Public Works Blue Team Coordinator for City of Newport News Recovery Operations Center.