City of Atlanta Finalist for Green City Award

Atlanta has been chosen as a finalist for a Waste & Recycling News Green City Award, which is presented to cities that are reducing waste and boosting recycling efforts.

The City of Atlanta and other finalists will be honored at the Green City Awards ceremony on Thursday, March 21 at the Residential Recycling Conference (RRC) in Chicago.

One winner will be named from the three finalists in each category of small-, mid-, and large-sized cities. Winners are decided by popular vote of the RRC attendees. If selected, the city will also be featured as a finalist in an upcoming issue of Waste & Recycling News.

“Atlanta is on its way to becoming a top-tier city for sustainability,” stated Mayor Kasim Reed in a city release. “We have made incredible strides in our recycling efforts, and this recognition further demonstrates our commitment to making our city a better place to live, work and play.”

Atlanta launched its Cartlanta expanded residential recycling program in October with the intent to educate and improve recycling rates citywide.

According to the release, "an expanded internal recycling program led by the Office of Sustainability, has seen a six-fold increase in collection rates. In addition to the environmental benefits, diverting recyclables from landfills produces revenue for the City at a rate of $30 per ton."

Power to Change, the city's sustainability plan, has a long-term goal of reaching 90 percent diversion of municipal waste by 2020, among other measures.

New 96-gallon recycling carts were delivered to 65,000 households at the rate of 1,000 per day. The citywide distribution of carts is a key component of Power to Change.

Make sure to come out for the regular Keep Atlanta Beautiful recycling event every second Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Community Recycling Center at Walden School, 320 Irwin St, 30312. in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.