DAPHNE, Ala.—Daphne—among other cities—will participate in the U.S. Conference of Mayors’s contest to win a $5,000 grant to go toward recycling education. The city that recycles the most aluminum cans between Oct. 1-31 will win the award.

The money will help raise awareness about the importance of recycling, Tracy Miller, the city’s solid waste coordinator, said.

“We want to help children understand how to recycle,” she said. “If we can start with the kids, then they can teach their parents.”

If Daphne wins, Miller plans to construct a garden outside the Public Works Department to show kids how to reuse compost material.

Compost—such as grass clippings, leaves, plant stalks, hedge trimmings, old potting soil, twigs, vegetable scraps, coffee filters and tea bags—helps sandy soil—highly prevelant in Baldwin County—retain water and nutrients while decreasing water runoff. Runoff pollutes water by carrying soil, fertilizers and pesticides to nearby streams.

Daphne is currently dealing with the impact of water runoff and its affect on the the D'Olive and Tiawasee Creek watersheds. Educating the public about reusing compost material in the soil could be one small step in aiding the troubled watershed.

A portion of the award money is expected to fund an education center—located at the department—that would house reference and how-to books on recycling.

To help raise recycling awareness among children, Miller has coordinated—with Daphne public schools—a contest to create a city recycling mascot. She said students will compete to come up with the winning idea and name for the mascot.

Daphne has been entered into a division with cities of similar size; so, if a larger city like Mobile also competes, Daphne wouldn’t be at a disadvantage because of its smaller population.

A total 125 cities will compete, nationwide; 67 cities are within Daphne's division, according to Susan Jarvis, U.S. Conference of Mayors program manager. “Daphne is in a division for cities under 50,000 people,” Jarvis said.

In addition to the city’s regular recycling pick-up schedule, aluminum cans can be dropped off at Wal-Mart, City Hall and the recycling center at the Public Works Department, according to a news release.

To get a recycling bin delivered, or for more information about the contest, contact Daphne Public Works Department at 621-3182.