The Decatur Minute

Beginning July 2, the City of Decatur Sanitation department will be collecting comingled and glass recycling. We will no longer be using a private contractor to provide this service.

What does this mean for you?

Your recycling collection will remain on the same day as your scheduled sanitation day. Please continue to separate your glass recycling from the comingled recyclables. See below for what can and cannot be recycled.

Potential Impacts

While your collection day remains the same, the time when your recycling is collected may change.  . Please be patient during the transition period. If your recycling has not been picked up by 3:30 pm on your recycling collection day, please contact the Public Works Department at 404-377-5571 or sanitation@decaturga.com.

Glass Recycling Bins

All glass must now be placed in a red recycling bin. You may use your existing red bin or request one by contacting the Public Works Department at 404-377-5571 or sanitation@decaturga.com.

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Decatur Public Facilities Authority Now Officially Owns The Approximately 77 Acre Property

 On August 16, 2017 the sale of approximately 77 acres of property owned by the United Methodist Children’s Home of the North Georgia Conference to the Decatur Public Facilities Authority was completed. The process of acquiring the property took almost nine months and was made possible through the cooperation and support of many people and agencies.

City of Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett said, “We appreciate all of the assistance we have received in making this project a success. We have had a wonderful working relationship with the Board, staff and others affiliated with the UMCH.” She added, “All of this would not have been possible without the help of Georgia General Assembly, particularly Senator Elena Parent and Representatives Drenner, Mosby, Oliver and Shannon who were instrumental in establishing the Decatur Public Facilities Authority.”

“This property acquisition is an exciting legacy opportunity for the City of Decatur and the Decatur Public Facilities Authority has been glad to assist in making this happen,” said Authority Chair Meredith Struby. Ms. Struby noted that “the community support for this project has been exciting and through late fall, 2017 the United Methodist Children’s Home will be transitioning to a new location in Tucker.

City Manager Peggy Merriss stated, “There are facilities on the property which will be used by the City to meet the current demand for Active Living programming, including significant upgrades to the playing fields.”   Ms. Merriss thanked the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority for their assistance is securing a very low interest loan that allowed for more than 22 acres of the property to be dedicated for use as permanently protected conservation area.

In January, 2018 the City will begin a community-based master planning effort to determine the future use of the property.

Chair of the City of Decatur Public Facilities Authority Board Meredith Struby signs the closing documents purchasing the UMCH property. Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold who serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the PFA and Hutch Moore, closing attorney join her.

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Reminder: the City of Decatur is hosting Neighborhood Clean-up Days on Saturdays in March and April, to allow residents to dispose of bulky materials that would not normally be placed in pay-as-you-throw bags. Every street in the City has been assigned to one Saturday. Visit the Neighborhood Cleanup Days page on the city website for detailed instructions and specified dates for each street.

Collection for March 11 will take place in the following neighborhood:

Lenox Place –
Greenwood Circle
W Howard (300 to 900 Block)
Patillo Way Eastlake Drive (2300 Block)
Atlanta Avenue
Hibernia Avenue
Ridley Lane
Adair Street
Cottonwood Place
Emerson Avenue
West Ponce de Leon Avenue (600 to 900 Block)
Drexel Avenue
Devonshire Avenue
Hampshire Avenue
Lansdowne Avenue
Melrose Avenue
Chief Matthews Drive
East Parkwood Road
West Parkwood Road
Upland Road
Wimberley Court
Parkwood Lane
Pinetree Drive
Scott Boulevard (100 to 700 Block)
Swanton Hills Subdivision

All items to be collected should be placed at the curb by 7:30 a.m. This ensures that we do not have to rerun routes for late set-outs. Collections run until 3:30 p.m., or until finished, whichever is sooner.

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Glass Recycling Update
From the Friendly Folks at Your Decatur Public Works Department

This week the City of Decatur began a new curbside recycling program for glass collection. As of July 1, all glass must be placed in a separate bin from your other recyclables and residents must provide their own bins for this. Overall, the rollout is going well. But we do have a few tips to share about glass collection that will help ensure the long-term success of the program.

If we missed your glass recyclables this week, we apologize for any inconvenience. Please make sure that it is properly prepared and not contaminated. We will collect your items on the next regularly scheduled service day.

Please remember:

• Your glass will likely be picked up at a different time than your other recyclables. If you see that your mixed recycling has been collected, this does not mean that your glass collection was missed.
• Have all trash, yard waste, and recycling placed at the curb by 7:30 am.
• Remove all lids and tops from glass containers and place them in your mixed recycling bin.
• Do not place any recyclables in plastic bags.
• Mixed recycling that contains glass cannot be collected.

We are grateful to everyone who has helped this new program roll out smoothly so that Decatur can continue to be a leader in environmental sustainability.

Thanks so much,

David Junger, Denisal McCalpine, Lena Stevens, Sean Woodson, Kelvin Davis

Decatur Public Works  |  404-377-5571

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Separated Glass Collection Service Starts July 1

Good news! Decatur residents can continue to include glass in their curbside recycling services. Due to new rules set by recycling facilities, glass for recycling must be placed in a separate bin, that you provide. The bin should be 18 gal. or smaller, but any type or color is acceptable. Paper, plastics, and metal can still be mixed together and placed in a separate bin for collection. The annual sanitation fee for the new fiscal year increased from $250 to $275 to cover the cost for separated glass collection services. You will see an adjustment of $25 on your second property tax installment for this year.

Get more information at decaturga.com/recycling 

Over the past few months, Decatur Public Works staff has explored recycling options and gathered feedback from the community. All options, including sending glass to the landfill, involved an increase in the cost for providing recycling. An online survey developed with the assistance of the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board collected more than 630 responses on this issue. More than 90% of respondents indicated they were willing to pay an additional $25 to $35 per year to continue curbside glass recycling services. And more than 76% of the respondents were willing to provide their own bins for separating glass to be recycled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do recycling facilities no longer want glass mixed in with other materials?
While a co-mingled recycling collection program provides many benefits, it has contributed to a system of poorly sorted recovered materials, with pieces of glass, plastic and metal being delivered in bales of fiber; the wrong types of fiber going to paper mills; and, plastics, glass, and other materials being delivered to incorrect product manufacturers.

Will the glass collected actually be recycled?
Yes. The glass collected from the separated residential curbside program will be sent to a recovery facility called Strategic Materials. They are a processor for recycled glass used in a wide array of products such as containers, fiberglass insulation, and countertops

I still have my old red glass-only recycling bin. Can I use that instead of getting a new bin?
Yes, we encourage you to use those bins if you have them. If you do not have a bin, you must provide your own separate bin to place at the curb on your regular collection day. The bin should be 18 gallons or smaller, but any type or color is acceptable.

How does this affect City of Decatur residents?

• Residents will need to place glass in a separate bin for curbside pickup on their regular collection days. These bins should be 18 gal. or smaller, but any type or color is acceptable.
• All other recyclable materials can continue to be placed together in a separate bin.
• The annual sanitation fee for the new fiscal year increased from $250 to $275 to cover the cost for separated glass collection services. Residents will see an adjustment of $25 on the second property tax installment bill sent later this year.

For More Information:

Visit decaturga.com/recycling for a complete list of the materials that are currently accepted. You may also call Decatur Public Works Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm, 404-377-5571.

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