Special to the Daily World
Flanked by several blue 96-gallon curbside recycling carts, Mayor Kasim Reed announced an aggressive expansion of the City’s residential recycling program. Beginning October 15, the City of Atlanta will deliver 96-gallon recycling carts to 66,000 households, at the rate of one thousand per day. The citywide distribution of carts is a key component of the City’s sustainability plan, Power to Change, which has a long-term goal of achieving 90 percent diversion of municipal waste by 2020, among other measures.
The City of Atlanta’s recycling program is managed by the Department of Public Works and serves 95,000 households. The new 96-gallon recycling carts will replace residents’ current 18-gallon recycling bins, allowing for more recyclables to be collected. About 30,000 residents already have carts.
Currently, city of Atlanta residents generate 96,000 tons of trash annually, which costs the city $7 million a year to dispose of in landfills. City of Atlanta residents recycle only 12,000 tons annually, which leaves significant room for improvement. In addition to the environmental benefits, diverting recyclables from landfills produces revenue for the City at a rate of $30 per ton.
“One of my goals as mayor is to see Atlanta become a top tier city for sustainability,” said Mayor Reed. “Recycling is an important step towards that goal, as we make Atlanta a greener place to live, work and play. Rolling out these new large capacity recycling carts will make it easier for residents to recycle more.”
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