DeKalb sanitation narrows single‑stream recycling to plastics 1 and 2, asks residents to ‘recycle right’

Tracy Hutchins, a member of DeKalb County sanitation staff, told the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee that the county has changed its residential single‑stream recycling rules because the contractor, Pratt, is rejecting low‑value and contaminating material.

Hutchins said the county now accepts only plastics labeled 1 and 2 in the blue county‑issued roll cart and that plastics labeled 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are no longer accepted in the curbside program. She said shredded paper should not be placed in residential recycling carts because the small pieces damage equipment and lose fiber value. Hutchins also reiterated that plastic bags, hazardous materials and bagged recyclables are not accepted.

The county produced a public service announcement and a flyer to notify residents and has posted guidance on its website. Hutchins credited DeKalb County Television (DCTV) director Diamond Lewis and team member Aviva Hoffman for producing the PSA and said the county will distribute the flyer to municipal partners and post graphics for commissioners to share. She also said she notified Martha Rivello, a county contact for cities, and that the flyer has been shared with municipal contacts.

To help residents recognize acceptable items, Hutchins said the county has asked Otto, the manufacturer of the blue roll carts, to change the hot‑stamp label on new lids to show the updated yes/no guidance. Existing roll carts will not be swapped out; Hutchins said staff will rely on outreach and the new labels on future carts. She said the county will mail printed flyers to residents who do not have computer access and has trained customer service representatives to respond to questions during business hours.

Hutchins said the sanitation division is coordinating with the school district — described as the county’s largest commercial recycling customer — and plans to purchase between 500 and 1,000 18‑gallon classroom bins so each classroom will have a bin when school starts in August; students and teachers will move classroom paper to 65‑gallon roll carts for building pickup. She also noted six county glass‑drop locations remain available for glass recycling.

Commissioners asked for the flyer images and the new hot‑stamp graphic so they can distribute them via their email lists and websites; Hutchins agreed to provide graphics and materials to the commissioners. She said the changes are already posted on the county website and that the county is using social media, DCTV and city contacts to amplify the message.

The presentation did not propose any change in ordinance or county code; Hutchins characterized the changes as operational adjustments by the county’s recycling contractor and county outreach to reduce contamination.