Atlanta
Recycling Guidelines
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
No Glass – Plastic, paper, metal accepted together, but not glass
PLASTIC
Look for plastic items labeled #1 - #5. Lids and caps can stay on bottles and containers.
- Clean plastics, dry, empty plastic bags/film packaging/grocery bags
- Plastic food containers: #1-#2-#5, clean and dry
Lids and caps can stay on bottles and containers
Plastic, single-serve to-go containers with no food residue
METAL
- Metal (steel, iron, brass, aluminum, or copper)
- Metal food cans (please wash)
- Aluminum cans
Tin, aluminum, steel, and empty aerosol cans
PAPER
Look for Paper items
- Paper: magazines/office paper/newspaper/phone-books
- Cardboard
Paper can be recycled up to seven times, depending on the quality
Cardboard tubes from wrapping or toilet paper rolls
OTHERS
Other items that may be recycled
- Ink printer cartridges (no toner)
- Textile
- Waxed cartons (broth, milk, juice)
- Batteries (zinc-carbon, button, lithium, rechargeable, car)
- Household fats/oil/grease
- Wine corks
- Political signs
Check with your leasing office for official guidelines
Click the “Recycling Resources” for more details
No Glass – Plastic, paper, metal accepted together, but not glass
Doorstep Recycling Collection
Place acceptable recyclables in a securely tied, see-thru bag, separate from your trash and place in your bin, outside your front door with your scheduled trash collection.
When in Doubt – Toss it Out
Please do not place any unacceptable items in communal recycling containers or in your household recycling bags. Remember, if recycling contains “contaminants” (non-recyclable items or containers not properly cleaned), the whole batch may be rejected and sent to a land fill. When in doubt – best to toss it out!
What can NOT be recycled
- Packing peanuts (take to UPS or shipping stores)
- Coat hangers (plastic or wire, take to your dry cleaners)
- Alkaline batteries
- PVC pipes
- Furniture
- Scrap wood
- Carpet
- Building materials, wood, joint compound, adhesive, roofing materials (contact Lifecycle Building center)
- Glass recycling varies by community. Contact your leasing office for more information
- Ceramics
- Windows
- Mirrors
Multifamily-specific highlights. Check with your municipality for the latest guidelines.
- Owners of any multifamily dwelling consisting of six or more living units shall provide commercial containers for the collection of recyclables, including, at minimum, the materials the city collects as part of its curbside recycling program, which includes, glass, plastics, newspapers, and aluminum cans.
- The capacity of the recycling containers shall be adequate to hold the recyclable materials of residents of the multi-family dwelling and shall be of a size not less than three gallons multiplied by the number of living units.
- Providing recycling service to the residents of each building no later than July 1, 2008.
- Responsible for securing and managing contracts for providing the material collection/recycling service for all building locations.
- Responsible for providing clearly marked collection bins for recyclable materials and containers for transporting the materials off-site. (Should be provided by the contracted recycling hauler).
- Recycling services to multi-family communities are not provided by the city of Atlanta at this time.
- Property owners/managers need to arrange a recycling contract with a waste hauler that provides bins and collection for at least: glass, plastics, newspapers and aluminum cans.
- Per city code, reporting recycling tonnage (which can be done via the link below), is required (hauler must provide this data to the communities).
- https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/public-works/recycling-program/multi-family-recycling
- Wire and plastic hangers may be returned to your dry cleaner.
- Plastic bags, wraps, and film may be recycled at your local grocery store.
- Packing peanuts-take to UPS or shipping store.
- If you are a multifamily community with buildings with five units you are eligible for curbside pick up
- For recycling not accepted curbside or for those multifamily homes that do not have curbside recycling, the following resources are available to you
Learn more about recycling in your city.
- https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/public-works/recycling-program
- Atlanta Recycling Days:
https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=37278 - Multifamily recycling rules link:
https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/public-works/recycling-program/multi-family-recycling - City of Atlanta Curbside Residential recycling program:
https://www.atlantaga.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=13789 - Georgia Recycling: What you need to know (This is a link to the directory of several recycling programs in the state)
https://www.blr.com/Environmental/Waste/Recycling-in-Georgia - Recycling Flyers:
https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=20456
https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=20455
https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=20453
https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=20454
For more information, please contact
The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) 1110 Hill Street SE Atlanta, GA. 30315 Phone: 404-600-6386
Hours of Operation Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Atlanta Recycles Day Greenbriar Mall 2841 Greenbriar Parkway SW Atlanta, GA 303 (Access road in front of Ashley Stewart)
Hours of Operation Every 3rd Saturday, 9:00 am – Noon
For additional information or assistance on multifamily recycling, please call 311 or visit atl311.com
This information is not your official community or municipality guidelines. Recycling mandates may change based on the local processing capabilities and shifting markets. Contact your leasing office or local recycling agency to learn more or use the links under the “Recycling Resources"
