Novelis Digs In: Tackling Vines, Graffiti, and the Never-Ending Recycling Struggle on PATH400

Last week, we hosted an incredible corporate volunteer day with the sustainability dream team from Novelis, and let us tell you—they showed up ready to work. If you don’t already know, Novelis is a global leader in aluminum production and recycling, and their Global & North American headquarters sits right here in Buckhead. Not only are they doing amazing things in the world of circular economy, but they’re also seriously dedicated to giving back to their local community—and we’re lucky to be a part of that.

Into the Urban Jungle

Our mission for the day? Rescue our PATH400 trees from a sneaky but serious threat: invasive vines. Over the past few months, we’d noticed thick growths of English ivy and aggressive wisteria creeping over the soundwalls and strangling the trees we’ve planted along the path. These vines might look innocent, but they’re ruthless. They climb up trees, block sunlight, weigh down branches, and ultimately choke out the life of young urban trees trying to thrive.

So we enlisted the help of Novelis to join us for some serious vine warfare.

With help from the amazing neighbors of Peachtree Park (shout out to y’all for granting us access to your deep backyards), we went full jungle expedition, crawling into the green abyss to find the root systems of the vines and cut them at the source. We’re talking long-handled loppers, extended pole saws, and even a chainsaw or two. It was scratchy and occasionally involved wrestling vines that didn’t want to let go—but the Novelis crew brought the energy.

Then we hopped over to the other side of the wall to remove the vines already choking our trees. While we didn’t get every last strand, we made a serious dent. The trees already look so much lighter, airier, and—honestly—happier. Over the next few months, we’ll watch those cut vines wither and die, leaving our trees to breathe freely again.

As if all that wasn’t enough, several Novelis team members also grabbed brushes and rollers to tackle some lingering graffiti along the soundwalls. The transformation? Immediate. PATH400 now looks cleaner, brighter, and better maintained—just the way we like it.

While the City of Atlanta crews handle the routine maintenance of PATH400, there are some jobs that just don’t fit into the schedule. That’s where our community and corporate partners come in—and days like this one really make the difference. We’re so grateful for Novelis and the many volunteers who go above and beyond to keep PATH400 beautiful.

Sustainability Nerd Out Moment

Of course, no volunteer day with Novelis would be complete without some good old-fashioned sustainability talk. Swapping stories and challenges around recycling education, infrastructure woes, and circular economy dreams was a highlight. One jaw-dropping stat we learned? $73 million worth of aluminum is thrown into Georgia landfills ($1B in US) each year instead of being recycled. 😱

And that’s a real shame, because aluminum is one of the most recyclable materials out there—infinitely recyclable, in fact. There’s already enough aluminum in circulation that we shouldn’t need to mine for it ever again. But to get there, we need better education, better access, and a whole lot more people tossing their soda cans into the right bin.

Huge thanks again to the Novelis team for their heart, hustle, and love for the planet. PATH400 is better for it—and so is Buckhead. Let’s keep fighting the good fight, one vine (and one can) at a time. 💪🌎