News

City of Decatur Continues to Strengthen Its Recycling Program

Decatur, Ala. – The City will begin rolling out new recycling carts for residents in January 2025 and May 2025 as part of an opt-in campaign to strengthen its existing recycling program.

Residents of the City of Decatur will be receiving an opt-in mailer this month and in February of next year allowing households that don’t currently recycle or those that currently recycle in a smaller, 64-gallon to opt-in to receive a larger, 96-gallon cart. The carts will provide increased capacity for recyclables and come with wheels for easy maneuvering and attached lids to keep recyclables dry and secure.

“Recycling is important to the City of Decatur. We understand the need for a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations. Through improvements in our recycling program, which includes continuous community education and outreach, providing larger recycling carts to our City of Decatur residents, and expanding our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to allow more tons of recyclables to processed for reuse, we have one of the most robust recycling programs in North Alabama,” Honorable Tab Bowling, Mayor.

The City applied for and received a grant from The Recycling Partnership, an organization committed to building a better recycling system in U.S. communities and states. The city was selected to receive grant support because of its dedication to advancing recycling in the community.  The grant from The Recycling Partnership, with support from the American Beverage Association’s “Every Bottle Back” initiative and the Alabama Beverage Association.

Recycling carts will be distributed to households in two batches – the first in January 2025 and the second in May 2025. Residents will receive a Carts are Coming post card in the mail 2-4 weeks before cart arrival. If a postcard is not received this year, residents can expect their recycling cart to be delivered during the second distribution.

The City asks that residents continue to do their part by placing only recyclable materials in their carts, including aluminum and steel cans, paper products (including newspapers and flattened cardboard), and empty plastic bottles and containers. To help limit contamination, give food and drink containers a quick rinse and then place them directly into the recycling cart—no sorting needed.

Some items that cannot be recycled include plastic bags, paper towels, pizza boxes, electrical equipment, batteries, and clothing.  These items often get mixed into recycling carts because of “wishcycling,” or the hope that they can be recycled.  While well-intentioned, non-recyclable items cause serious issues.

For more information about the recycling program, call 256-341-4770 or visit

www.cityofdecatural.com/departments/recycling-department.

Residents can begin using their new carts immediately upon receipt on their regularly scheduled recycling day.