Sandy Springs to require waste management services to offer recycling

Sandy Springs will soon be requiring waste management services in the city to offer recycling services to customers.

Sandy Springs Sustainability Manager Catherine Mercier-Baggett presented the initiative to mayor and council at the Jan. 17 city council meeting. The initiative is part of Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities Certification Program, one that Sandy Springs already participates in.

While waste companies will now be required to offer recycling, customers, however, are not required to sign up for the service and recycle. Residential single-family customers will have the option of curbside collection and multi-family and non-residential customers will have on-site recycling.

Mercier-Baggett said one of Sandy Springs’ greater goals is to offer convenient access to recycling options to residents and reduce waste that ends up in landfills.

The recycling program must include the regular collection of (at least) one category of commonly recyclable goods. Common recyclables include, but are not limited to: paper, cardboard, certain plastics, aluminum and steel cans. All recyclable materials are required to be delivered to a licensed Material Recovery Facility and not disposed of at a landfill.

“(The city) would require that haulers include educational programs of recycling best practices,” Mercier-Baggett said.

Council member Tibby DeJulio said he is concerned that the recycled item will actually be recycled, claiming haulers can “get behind schedule and put recycling with trash.”

According to Mercier-Baggett, DeJulio’s concern is one also heard from many people. One solution she proposed for the city to instill is to ask for receipts upon delivery of recycled items.

Companies are already aware of the changing police and so far, no company operating in Sandy Springs has posed an issue.

“If these companies really read this and they decide they do not like it, I’ll hear from them before they leave [stop service operation],” council member John Paulson said.

The amendment will not go into effect until April, so the city has time to make adjustments as council members and companies see fit.

The item was unanimously approved and the plan is slated to be finalized by this summer.