Recycling Considerations
When Starting a New
Business or Developing/
Redeveloping Property
By Sarah Hasib
Recycling Promotion
In order to reduce waste sent to the landfill, the Athens‐Clarke County (ACC) Unified Government adopted a goal of 60% waste diversion by the
year 2018, and 75% by 2020. Commercial businesses play a key role in ACC’s waste diversion efforts.
There are three recycling requirements for businesses opera ng in ACC:
1) Provide recycling containers
2) Provide recycling informa on and guidelines to all employees and tenants
3) Complete a Commercial Customer Recycling Plan.
Businesses that are run from a primary residence and mul ‐family proper es of four units or less do not have to meet these requirements.
To complete the Commercial Recycling Plan requirement, a business provides general informa on about the business itself and details about
the business’ recycling service provider, the number and size of the recycling containers that the business uses (recycling facili es may be
shared among tenants or neighboring businesses), and the business’ plans to inform its employees, tenants, and customers about recycling.
The Plan must be filed with the ACC Solid Waste Department and may be filled out and submi ed online at: h p://
www.athensclarkecounty.com/209/Recycling‐Waste‐Reduc on.
The Solid Waste Department’s Recycling Division can provide educa onal materials to assist with a business’ requirement to promote recycling
among its employees, tenants, and customers, including supplying magnets, s ckers, flyers, and electronic media. Please contact Joe Dunlop,
Commercial Recycling Specialist, to request educa onal materials for your business (706) 613‐3512 ext. 340 or
[email protected].
Recycling Facilities
If you’re developing or redeveloping a commercial property, you
are required to provide a detail of where the waste collec on
facili es, including recycling facili es, will be located, and,
ensure that each solid waste dumpster is placed on raised
concrete pad with appropriate clearance for trash and recycling
pick‐up (see Sec on 5‐2‐16 of the Athens‐Clarke County Code
for specific requirements). If located outdoors, dumpsters or
trash carts may not be placed in between a building and the
street and must be screened so they are not visible from the
street. Certain large‐scale developments may be required to
provide secured enclosures made of solid wood or masonry and
built to meet addi onal ACC Code specifica ons.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT www.AthensBusiness.org 706-613-3233