Commercial Recycling

Downtown Business RecyclingAthens-Clarke County Unified Government adopted ordinance Sec. 5-2-14 (i) requiring mandatory commercial recycling in 2012 to reduce the amount of recyclable materials deposited in the landfill. All businesses and organizations in Athens-Clarke County must recycle and have an approved recycling plan on file with ACC Solid Waste Department, Recycling Division.

Requirements of Ordinance Sec. 5-2-14 (i)

There are five requirements for businesses and non-profit organizations licensed in Athens-Clarke County regarding recycling:

  1. All recyclable materials from your business/organization must be separated from trash and placed in properly labeled recycling bins.
  2. Recycling must be collected and transported to a recycling facility.
  3. A Commercial Recycling Plan must be completed and submitted to the Solid Waste Department Recycling Division.

  4. Staff and customers/tenants must receive education regarding what can be recycled.

  5. Compliance must be verified by the Commercial Recycling Specialist.

Prefer to download and print the form, click here.

Exemptions

Businesses run strictly from a primary residence are exempt from this ordinance. Also, multi-family dwellings of four or less units are exempt.

What to recycle?

Every business and non-profit must make a concerted effort to recycle the items listed on the Targeted Materials List. This includes hard plastic containers and bottles, printed paper, cardboard, metal cans, and glass bottles and jars.

Already recycling? 

Then becoming compliant is easy. Just complete your Commercial Recycling Plan. Once your Commercial Recycling Plan is received, the Commercial Recycling Specialist will contact you to coordinate verification of your recycling. 

How do I get started?

Need help getting started. Visit our Getting Started page.

Additional Resources

Check out our Resources page for more assistance in getting started. This page includes industry-specific guides, tenant letters, and recycling reminder posters.

Questions?

For questions and additional information, including on-site technical assistance, educational material, and tours of the ACC Recycling Processing Facility, contact the ACC Commercial Recycling Specialist. You can also check out our FAQs page.