GIPL's Trailblazer Award—Canterbury Court Recycling Committee
This year's Trailblazer Award was given to the Recycling Committee of senior living community Canterbury Court at the Ninth Annual GIPPY Awards in March. Accepting the award for Canterbury Court were Walda Lavroff and Ruth Anne Foote, chair.
Canterbury Court is a senior living facility in Buckhead that was established by the Episcopal churches of St. Luke's and All Saints. Last year, their Recycling Committee started a recycling campaign to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and as a result, collected almost 50 tons to be recycled and composted into dirt that fills their community garden.GIPL first learned of this amazing group when the resident services coordinator phoned our office seeking additional resources for this active committee. When we heard the story of what these folks had been up to in that unsuspecting tower north of Phipps Plaza, we knew it had to be shared.A few residents came together to promote battery recycling – aware of how much batteries were being used by almost all residents of Canterbury Court, from hearing aids to clocks and other electronics. Many of these residents had been active recyclers in their own homes prior to moving to Canterbury Court. They couldn’t understand why recycling was not available in their new home.
These volunteers began exploring what it would mean to set up a fully functioning recycling program for the 200+ residents of this retirement community. Working closely with the staff, the committee formulated the plan and trained residents and workers in the building on implementation. They had buy-in from the administration which saw their waste disposal rates decrease as the residents increased recycling waste – to the tune of almost eight tons the first quarter of the year. And it extended beyond batteries – they were able to coordinate the transport of all recyclables are by a local recycling company.The Recycling Committee may soon need to rename itself, because they are moving onto energy and water conservation projects for their buildings. Based on the success of their recycling efforts, it's clear that nothing can stop them now! Their story shows that we can never underestimate the abilities of a small but dedicated group to fulfill their mission – especially a group of retired women powered by moxie!