A new report is examining how Atlanta handles its trash and recycling. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - A new report examining Atlanta's recycling efforts released this month says the city could be doing more to keep waste out of landfills.
The report, shared by the City Auditory's Office, comes with multiple recommendations on how Atlanta could improve areas where fewer people participate in the program.
By the numbers:
The report examined all the city's household waste from September 2024 through January 2025.
Overall, the city recycles about 23% of its garbage. The data showed that more than 29,000 tons of trash and recycling were collected across the city during the period that was examined. Of that, slightly more than 6,600 tons were recycled.
Those numbers show an improvement from 2016, when about 11% of waste was recycled but remained below the Environmental Protection Agency's national benchmark of 26%.
Officials say participation varies by service area. Service Area 5, the northern part of the city that includes Buckhead, recycles about 25% of its garbage waste. The other four service areas range from 15 to 21%.
What they're saying:
While auditors credited the city for improvements to the program, it said that Atlanta lacks a "specific waste diversion goal," which could make the goal of diverting waste from landfills less effective.
Auditors also criticized the Department of Public Works' tracking system, calling it "inaccurate" and said that problems with invoices have led to overpayments.
The report noted that the department has not enforced the city's recycling ordinance that requires the owners of apartments and other multifamily properties to provide recycling options to their residents.
One of the recommendations included in the report was the creation of a recycling educational program that would target areas with lower recycling participation rates.
Dig deeper:
Atlanta is one of the few municipalities in the area that accepts glass as part of its curbside recycling collection. Data in the report showed that glass made up 9% of all recycling for 2024.
However, auditors say the city's use of a single recycling cart for all recyclables has led to problems and higher costs. Other areas, like the City of Decatur, use a separate cart for collection.
"Sorting glass from other materials in single-stream recycling requires additional equipment and labor, adding to the overall processing cost, and glass can also contaminate and reduce the value of other recyclables," the report reads.
Because of the commingling of materials, only 40% of glass recycling is accepted, the report found.
The auditors recommended that the city conduct a study to examine the costs and benefits of accepting glass in its curbside recycling,
What you can do:
You can see the full report here.
The Source: Information for this story came from a report on Atlanta's recycling efforts by the City Auditor's Office.