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ATLANTA– Live Thrive will soon open its second Zero Waste Center (aka CHaRM), made possible through a partnership with DeKalb County, to be located at 1225 Columbia Drive in Decatur. The groundbreaking of the new location will take place on Nov. 14, with the facility slated to open in the first quarter of 2023.
Live Thrive’s DeKalb Zero Waste Center will offer the same vital recycling services as the first CHaRM, located on Hill St. SE in Atlanta.
In 2021 alone, the Hill Street CHaRM reused, recycled or re-engineered more than 31 tons of Styrofoam, 274 tons of chemicals, 251 tons of glass, 1,727 mattresses and much more for a total of 4.3 million pounds of materials. With the opening of a second location, Live Thrive’s impact will greatly increase.
“Live Thrive is thrilled to increase our overall reach by providing another CHaRM location in the metro area, making it more convenient for DeKalb and Decatur residents to properly dispose of their hard-to-recycle materials,” said Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe, executive director, Live Thrive. “We have been working hand in hand with the DeKalb County commissioners and the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs department. Commissioner Larry Johnson purchased the 8-acre tract of land
and led the charge to have funds appropriated for the new location site preparation.”
In addition to Commissioner Larry Johnson’s support, Live Thrive’s DeKalb Zero Waste Center benefited from the support of former Commissioner Kathie Gannon and the current DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.
The new recycling facility will be a part of the 8-acre tract of land dedicated to the DeKalb Zero Waste Center. Like the first CHaRM location, the new center will accept hard-to-recycle materials and compost, as well as typical curbside recycling items, including everything from glass to Styrofoam to paint, mattresses, tires and household chemicals.
“I am excited about the community benefits that will be experienced as a result of locating the CHaRM site in Belvedere Park,” said Commissioner Larry Johnson. “Our goal is for the site to ultimately become the South DeKalb Healthy Living Center. It will be used as an opportunity to promote healthier eating and additional programs for overall wellness while reducing litter and water pollution in the community.”
In addition to operating the CHaRM recycling facility, Live Thrive will provide environmental education at the State Farm Outdoor Learning Center. Future phases will include a community garden and fruit forest, as well as a bee yard, pollinator garden and more.
Live Thrive will partner with local schools (public and private), community groups and other organizations to expand educational efforts around recycling and the environment. In implementing the multifarious efforts, the DeKalb Zero Waste Center will provide new jobs to residents.
With the opening of the DeKalb Zero Waste Center in 2023, area residents will have two convenient options for recycling used goods and putting them back into the circular economy.
About Live Thrive
Live Thrive is a 501 (c) 3 that empowers people, organizations, universities, communities and businesses to make positive, healthy and sustainable changes to the environment through partnerships and community events. The organization works with Atlanta-based corporations to develop educational and recycling programs for employees and serves as a managing program partner for the #DoYouRecycle? Challenge for multi-family properties. Live Thrive was recognized by Shaw Industries Group Inc. as a recipient of the 2020 sustain[HUMAN]ability® Leadership Recognition Program and in 2021 as one of Georgia’s Clean 13 Water Heroes – both of these honors highlight Live Thrive’s statewide initiatives to benefit the environment and water quality. Since its 2010 inception, Live Thrive has been recognized by Keep Georgia Beautiful, Georgia Water Coalition, Southface, the Atlanta Metro Chamber, US Green Building Council, Georgia Natural Gas, Atlanta Business Chronicle and Fulton County Citizens Commission, to name a few. www.livethrive.org.
About CHaRM Hill Street Location
Atlanta’s first permanent facility for the recycling of materials too harmful to place at the curb, Live Thrive’s CHaRM – the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials – encourages reuse while diverting thousands of tons of household hazardous waste and other hard to recycle items from local homes, water supplies and landfills. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and nearly three months of closure, CHaRM’s intake increased during 2020 and 2021. In 2021 alone, the center reused, recycled or reengineeredmore than 31 tons of Styrofoam, 274 tons of chemicals, 251 tons of glass, 1,727 mattresses and much more for a total of 4.3 million pounds of materials. CHaRM is located at 1110 Hill Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30315.
CHaRM is open by appointment only. http://livethrive.org/charm, 404-600-6386
