Residential Subscription
Curbside Recycling Program
Service Provider
Public Works Department
Sanitation Division
Information: (404) 294-2900
eMail
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Residential Subscription Curbside Recycling Application
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Additional Blue Bags
Residential Curbside Recycling
Our comprehensive recycling program allows DeKalb County residents to recycle a large variety of household materials conveniently. The most effective curbside recycling program consists where residents participate at the maximum levels possible and follow all the procedures established in the program to insure that all the materials are fully recycled and not diverted to a landfill.
Who Can Participate
Residential Service Area Customers; Unincorporated DeKalb County; City of Lithonia; and All Sanitation Division Residential Customers who presently receive solid waste collection services.
Cost to Customers
$ 15.00 One Time Fee for Mixed Paper Recycling Blue Bin
$ 15.00 As Needed Fee for Commingled Blue Bags (Box of 100)
Fees established by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and are subject to change without notice.
How to Participate
Call the Sanitation Customer Service (404) 294-2900 or email sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us and subscribe to the residential recycling program. Initial subscription cost is $30.00 which includes the bin and bags as described above. To subscribe to our recycling program, please fill out the application form below and send it along with your check or money order of $30.00. to our Sanitation Division at 3720 Leroy Scott Drive, Decatur, GA 30032. Make checks payable to DeKalb County.
Residential Subscription Curbside Recycling Application
Collection Service Schedule
Collection service will be on Wednesdays.
Please check the annual collection calendar for Wednesdays that are designated as: NO residential recycling collection service.
Certain Wednesdays such as the day before Thanksgiving; Christmas Week; and County Holidays that fall on Wednesdays will not be serviced.
During these weeks with NO residential recycling collection service, please hold your material until the next scheduled collection service Wednesday.
What to Recycle
Mixed papers and commingled containers (Plastic, Glass & Food Containers) can be recycled. Mixed papers should be placed in the county provided Blue Bin. All other items should be placed in the County issued semi-transparent blue bag.
How to Recycle Mixed Papers
Mixed Papers go in the Blue Bin Mixed papers must be unspoiled and not have been contaminated with any food residue or have been used for cleaning purposes. Mixed Papers that are wet from rainwater are acceptable.
Acceptable Mixed Paper Items
- Newspapers including paper inserts (no plastic delivery protection covers)
- Magazines (stapled binding is OK)
- Phone Books (glued binding is OK)
- Catalogs (glued binding is OK)
- Small Cardboard Boxes (Note: remove all packing materials such as peanuts & Styrofoam packaging, bubble wrap and all other packing materials)
- Large Cardboard Boxes (Note: remove all packaging materials, breakdown and fold flat and place under Mixed Paper Blue Bin at the curb for collection)
- Cereal & Pantry Items Paper Boxes (remove all inside food liners and fold flat)
- Frozen Food Containers (remove all inside food liners and fold flat)
- Tissue and Paper Towels Cylinder Cores (no tissue paper and paper towels)
- Office Paper & Copy Paper
- Note Pads & Index Cards
- Writing Paper
- Computer Paper
- Coated Paper Inserts
- Circulars
- Brochures (slick and coated is OK)
- Envelopes (windows and glued is OK)
- Manila Folders
- Junk Mail
- Shredded Paper (Note: Must be placed inside a small plastic bag - not a blue bag - and securely tied then placed in the Blue Bin with the other Mixed Papers)
Protection of Sensitive Information
Please remove, cut out or deface and discard any information such as addresses, phone numbers, accounting, etc. from all your mixed paper materials that will be placed in the mixed paper recycle bin.
How to Recycle Commingled Items (Plastic, Glass & Food Containers)
Commingled Containers used to store beverages, food and cleaner go in the Blue Bags.
Acceptable Commingled Container Items
All Plastic Beverage, Food & Household Cleaner Containers with Symbols 1-7
- PET #1 Polyethelene
- HDPE #2 High Density Polyethelene
- PVC #3 Poly Vinyl Chloride
- LDPE #4 Low Density Polyethelene
- PP #5 Poly Propolene
- PS #6 Poly Styrene
- Other #7 Mixture of 1 - 6 Plastics
Plastic Items must be individually numbered with one of the seven symbols identified above and containers were used to store food, beverage and household cleaners.
All Plastic Items must be rinsed free of stored material and caps replaced securely prior to placing items inside the semi-transparent blue bag.
Glass Beverage & Food Containers
Clear colored bottles & containers
Brown colored bottles & containers
Green colored bottles & containers
Blue colored bottles & containers
Tin Beverage & Food Containers
Tin Cans that stored beverages & foods such as juices, meats & vegetables, etc. are acceptable.
All tin cans must be thoroughly rinsed of contents. Tin cans with hard to rinse out contents may require removing both ends to insure a clean rinse. Removing both ends is not necessary for easy to rinse food content. Do not crush the can. Place clean tin can and lid in semi-transparent blue bag. Rinse tin can lid and place it in the blue bag.
Aluminum cans & containers that stored any beverages or food such as soda drinks, beer, meats and vegetables are acceptable.
All aluminum containers must be rinsed free of stored material and placed in semi-transparent blue bag.
Commingled Items in Blue Bag
All Commingled Items (Plastics, Glass, Tin and Aluminum Bottles & Containers) must be placed in the County issued semi-transparent blue bag and securely sealed using a knot or tie. This bag must be placed at the curb on a scheduled collection Wednesday. It is very important to keep all commingled items secured in the blue bag to minimize breakage of glass items and avoid contamination of mixed paper items.
It is also very important to eliminate insects and transmitting diseases by first thoroughly rinsing commingled items free of food and detergent residues. It may take as long as six months from the time you place items at the curb until it reaches the final processor to fully recycle the material into a new product.
Any recycle program is only as effective as those participating understand and follow proper procedures established to insure that the material is fully recycled and not diverted to a landfill disposal site due to contamination by food residue or breakage of glass.
The most effective curbside recycling program consist where residents participate at the maximum levels possible; only place items to be recycled that have been identified as part of the program; and participants follow all rules associated with the correct way items should be prepared and placed at the curb.
By doing your part, you help keep the cost of the program down by insuring best value from the sale of recyclable items and minimizes cross contamination that decreases the value of the material to be recycled.
In many cases, participants decide to add certain items as recyclable that are not acceptable. In other cases, participants will not rinse out food residues from containers because they do not care to or do not want to take the extra time and water required.
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If you participate, please take the necessary steps to insure your item is completely recycled; made into a new consumer product; and not rejected and sent to a landfill.
Other Recycling Opportunities
Aluminum Cans are collected on the First household garbage collection day of the week for all single-family residents in unincorporated DeKalb and the City of Lithonia.
Newspapers are collected on the Second household garbage collection day of the week for all single-family residents in unincorporated DeKalb and the City of Lithonia.
Yard Debris that has been properly prepared for hand collection will be collected each week on your designated yard debris collection day for all single-family residents in unincorporated DeKalb and the City of Lithonia.
Appliances that have been placed at the curb will be collected as soon as possible once notification has been given to the Customer Service Center. Phone (404) 294-2900 or sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us.
Passenger Tires of a maximum of four (4) per event will be collected at the curb for a minimum handling fee of $ 2.00 each. Call Customer Service to arrange for collection. Residents will be invoiced for the fee.
Drop-off Recycling Locations
Mixed Paper Containers are located at all DeKalb County Fire Stations and many DeKalb County Public Buildings. These containers are green in color with a slide through slot opening in the front. All Mixed Papers may be dropped off at these locations that include: Newspapers, Phone Books, Magazines, Catalogs, Office Paper, Cardboard, Chipboard and Junk Mail.
The paper items must pass through a six-inch (6”) by four-feet (4’) slot opening to be recycled. Simply breakdown all your cardboard boxes at home, throw away all packaging in your household garbage and take the folded cardboard and other papers to the closest mixed paper container and slide them through the opening.
Citizen Recycling Drop Off Sites
