Atlanta to distribute 96-gallon curbside recycling carts to 66,000 households beginning Oct. 15

Statingone of his goals as mayor is “to see Atlanta become a top tier city forsustainability,” Kasim Reed today announced that, beginning Oct. 15, the citywill distribute 96-gallon curbside recycling carts to 66,000 Atlantahouseholds, at the rate of 1,000 per day.

Pictured at the announcement today are, left to right, Denise Quarles
director director Mayor's Office of Sustainability,Atlanta Recycles 
Committee member member Abbey Patterson,  Elemental Impact, Founder
& CEO and Sustainable Food Court Initiative director Sustainable Food
 Court Initiative director Holly D. Elmore, Keep Atlanta Beautiful
 executive director Peggy  Denby, Mayor Kasim Reed,  Yvonne Douglas
 of Atlanta Public Schools Energy & Environmental Services,
 environmental activist Laura Turner Seydel, City Council member
 Aaron Watson and Atlanta COO Duryia Farooqui. 

Thecitywide distribution of carts is a key component of the City’s sustainabilityplan, Power to Change, which has a long-term goal of achieving 90 percentdiversion of municipal waste by 2020, among other measures.

Atlantaresidents generate 96,000 tons of trash annually, which costs the city $7million a year to dispose of in landfills, according to the city. Right now,Atlanta residents recycle 12,000 tons annually. In addition to theenvironmental benefits, diverting recyclables from landfills produces revenuefor the city at a rate of $30 per ton.

“Rollingout these new large capacity recycling carts will make it easier for residentsto recycle more,” the mayor stated.

Photo of the 96-gallon curbside
recycling carts to be distributed .

The city of Atlanta’srecycling program is managed by the Department of Public Works and serves95,000 households. The new 96-gallon recycling carts will replace residents’current 18-gallon recycling bins, allowing for more recyclables to becollected. About 30,000 residents already have carts.

The Mayor was joined by Council Member Aaron Watson, Chief Operating OfficerDuriya Farooqui, Deputy Commissioner Dexter White of the Department of PublicWorks, Denise Quarles, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability andLaura Turner Seydel, an environmental activist and Atlanta Recycles steeringcommittee member.

The push for expanded recycling will be led by a partnership among the City ofAtlanta’s Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Department of Public Works and theCurbside Value Partnership (CVP), which has been enlisted to help develop andmeasure an education campaign designed to educate and encourage residents aboutthe best use of the new carts.

CVP is a national, invitation-only program designed to help communities growtheir curbside programs through education. Since 2005, CVP has partnered with30 communities and four states to develop, execute and measure effectiveeducation campaigns.

“Introducing large recycling carts is a proven way to increase participationand improve tonnage for local recycling programs,” said Public Works DeputyCommissioner Dexter White. “Per person per household, we throw away more thandouble the national average. We can do better. These larger carts andour Cartlanta education campaign will make sure we do.”