Tours
The Green School Program offers a number of tours free of charge to Athens teachers. These tour locations can be visited separately or locations can be combined for more impact. Below is a list of available tours and the appropriate contacts.
NEW! Combo Tours
A Combo Tour allows a whole grade to tour two different locations in the same day. We recommend the following pairings, which are designed to meet specific Georgia Performance Standards. Grade levels divide into two groups, with one busload of students visiting one facility or the other. After a complete tour of the first stop, students load back onto the bus and swap locations with the other half of your group.
Recycling Center/Drinking Water Treatment Combo Tour
Visit this combination of facilities to reinforce the Georgia Performance Standard S3L2a&b. Students observe the items they recycle at school being separated and baled before being shipped and turned into new products. See the drinking water treatment process and participate in an activity demonstrating how supply and demand can affect our water supply and the need for conservation efforts. Recommended for third grades.
Landfill/Compost/Water Reclamation Facility Combo Tour
Decomposers play an important role in our landfills, compost facilities, and water reclamation processes. Visit these locations for an introduction to our helpful microorganisms, while meeting the Georgia Performance Standard S4L1a. We guarantee this trip will give the students something to talk about at lunch. Recommended for fourth grade.
To schedule a combo tour, contact either Jackie Sherry or Denise Plemmons.
Tours of Individual Facilities
Water Treatment Plant - Conserve: WATER U waiting 4?
At the JG Beacham Water Treatment Plant and Bob M. Snipes Water Resource Center, your students see firsthand how their drinking water is treated before being delivered to their homes. The guided tour can stand alone or accompany any of our programs that best correlate to the class' unit of study. Best for grades 3-12. Complete the Public Utilities Facility Tour to arrange for a tour. Contact Jackie Sherry for more information.
Water Reclamation Facility - Meet our Microorganisms
Ever wonder where the water goes after you flush? You and your students can find out by taking a guided tour of the Cedar Creek Water Reclamation Facility. Learn about the micro-biology, chemistry, and environmental issues associated with water reclamation. Your students see the decomposers in action! This guided tour is best for grades 4-12. Complete the Public Utilities Facility Tour to arrange for a tour. Contact Jackie Sherry for more information.
Recycling Center - Be a Recycling Superhero!
The ACC Recycling Division provides tours for grades K-12 of the ACC Recycling Facility at 699 Hancock Industrial Way. This is a 22,000 square foot single stream processing facility that receives 70 tons of materials a day. Once sorted the materials are baled and shipped to market. This tour is great for any grade and can be combined with a water tour or reuse activity to extend your field trip time. Visit the Solid Waste Tour webpage for more information.
Schedule a tour of the Recycling Center
Compost Facility Tour - Cookin' Up Compost!
The ACC Recycling Division provides tours for grades K-12 of the ACC Commercial Compost Facility. The ACC Commercial Compost Facility (Classic City Compost) is an EPD-permitted commercial composting facility covering 4.5 paved acres. This facility composts bio-solids and leaf and limb debris for the Athens community. The facility is located on the landfill property. Visit the Solid Waste Tour webpage for more information.
Schedule a tour of the Compost Facility
Landfill Tour - Come on a "Scavenger" Hunt!
The ACC Recycling Division provides tours for grades K-12 of the ACC Landfill. The ACC Landfill is located at 5700 Lexington Road and is comprised of approximately 444 acres of land on the Clarke County/Oglethorpe County line. The facility receives approximately 300 tons of materials for disposal each day. Visit the Solid Waste Tour webpage for more information.
Schedule a tour of the Landfill
Center for Hard to Recycle Materials Tour- Be more CHaRMing!
Learn about materials beyond your basic 5 (plastic bottles and containers, metal cans, paper, cardboard, and glass bottles and jars) that you can recycle in Athens. CHaRM is our is a one-stop drop for items that can’t be recycled at the curb or at the ACC recycling drop-off sites due to their chemical composition, hazardous components, size, shape, etc. These materials are collected for reuse, recycling, and in rare cases, safe disposal. This facility offers the opportunity to keep these materials out of the landfill. It is one of only 2 facilities of its kind in the state of Georgia. This facility also houses our Reuse Storep. The Reuse Store provides an innovative approach to the recovery and reuse of business and industry discards and by-products, as well as community donations. We keep items out of landfills and put them in the hands of our communities’ education systems. Visit the Solid Waste Tour webpage for more information.