Hey Athenians! Let's talk how to recycle in Athens-Clarke County.
What cannot be recycled?
How to Recycle Paper, Cartons & Flattened Cardboard:
Instructions: Paper materials must be clean and dry. Flatten cardboard.
Includes: Junk mail, mixed paper, paper bags, newspaper, paperback books, magazines, paper cups and containers, milk & juice cartons, cardboard packaging, cereal and packaged food boxes, tissue boxes, and clean pizza boxes
Where’s it go?: Mixed paper (newspaper, office paper, paperboard, etc. comprises mixed paper) sold to Pratt in Conyers, GA. Sorted Office Paper is sold to Cascade Paper, Rockingham, NC. Old Corrugated Containers (OCC), or cardboard, are sold to International Paper in Pine Hill, Alabama.
Product: tissue paper/ toilet paper and new boxes
Restrictions: NO photo paper, shredded paper, paper plates, napkins or paper towels. NO waxed cardboard
How to Recycle Metal Cans & Containers
Instructions: Must be empty and rinsed out. Removed plastic lid.
Includes: Beverage cans, steel food cans, aerosol cans, clean aluminum foil and trays
Where’s it go? Aluminum beverage cans are marketed to Anheuser-Busch Recycling, St. Louis , MS a scrap metal broker. They eventually make their way to Novelis Corporation in Greensboro, Georgia. Steel/Tin cans are sold to Tube City, IMS in Glassport, PA.
Product: aluminum cans and new steel products.
Restrictions: Cans and foil only, NO scrap metal such as tools, electronics, appliances, or propane tanks.
How to Recycle Plastic Bottles & Containers
Instructions: Must be empty and rinsed out. Keep lids on
Includes: Hard plastic #1-7 cups, food containers, trays, beverage bottles and jugs
Where’s it go? PET #1 plastics go to Mohawk Industries in Summerville, GA and turned in to carpet.
HDPE #2 natural and pigmented goes to Envision Plastics in Reidsville, NC. and recycled into resins for milk, juice, cleaner, detergent bottles and more.
Plastics #3-7 are sold to Universal Commodity Services in Charlotte, NC and used for resins for a variety of new products such as infrastructural components, automobiles and more.
Restrictions: Must be labeled with an embossed recycling symbol with #1-7, NO Styrofoam or plastic bags
How to Recycle Glass Bottles & Jars
Instructions: Must be empty and rinsed out. Remove lid
Includes: Beverage and food bottles, food jars
Where’s it go? Glass bottles and jars go to Strategic Materials in Atlanta, GA.
Product: Downcycled/reused as road base or drainage base
Restrictions: NO windows, mirrors, broken glass, or drinking glasses
All information is gathered from Athens-Clarke County website and you can click here to read more!