Recycling Tips from ACC Recycling Division

Sherry Liang and Lara Strydom

Friday, October 2, 2020

There are few things in life as constant as the three R’s — reuse, reduce, and recycle. Recently, that third R in Athens saw some long-awaited changes, changes that have been in the works for over a decade.

All clean, empty, paper containers are now recyclable in Athens-Clarke County — the most recent addition has been paper cups. 

Joe Dunlop, the ACC Waste Reduction Administrator, said the initiative began with Jittery Joe’s coffee cups because the bright orange color made it easier to distinguish from other recycled material. Over the course of a few months, the program has been expanded to include all paper cups. 

Emptying the cups before recycling is a crucial and simple step to ensure the cup does not contaminate the rest of the recycling bin and end up in a landfill. According to the National Waste and Recycling Association, 25% of recyclable materials ends up becoming contaminated — often making them unrecyclable.

Before recycling the cup, pour out any leftovers, separate the lid and any cardboard sleeves from the cup, then place all components separately in the recycling bin. While wooden stirrers cannot be recycled, they can be tossed in a nearby compost bin.

This initiative has been in the works for 10 years and was made possible by the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) and Pratt Industries. Mason Towe, the ACC Recycling Program Education Specialist, said this development is significant because ACC has not added items to the “Recyclable Items” list in about a decade. 

“Our primary goal is to divert material from the landfill, so any additional items we can accept in the regular recycling, Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), or in the compost, means more potential for keeping them out of the landfill,” Mason said.

While recycling cups is the latest initiative rolled out by ACC, Mason pointed to several resources that people can continue to use throughout the pandemic. 

Activities people can participate in remotely include the Trashercise with Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful (KACCB), where people can report their trash cleanup around their neighborhoods, and documenting litter in their neighborhoods through the Marine Debris Tracker App.

Teachers can also stop by the Teacher Reuse Store hosted by CHaRM, open to teachers in Clarke, Oconee, Madison, Jackson, Barrow for shopping, for free school supplies.

Mason also mentioned some practices people can easily employ into their normal routines in order to help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. Mason recommends buying in bulk to reduce excess packaging (also, oftentimes a more frugal option!) and supporting local businesses that are utilizing more environmentally-friendly practices, such as using sustainable packaging for takeout and composting food scraps.