Recycling Collection

Curb Pickup


This service is for picking up recyclables from the curb. The city furnishes 1 recycling bin per residence. Rinse all containers thoroughly before placing them in the recycling bin. Please place bin on curbside by 6 a.m. on your collection day.

Those who live west of U.S. 31 will have recycling on the first and third Mondays, and those who live east of U.S. 31 on the second and fourth Mondays. Please have bins to the curb by 6 a.m.

The City of Decatur serves as vendor for recycling and has a list of accepted items. In order for Athens to continue to utilize this service, Sanitation Director Earl Glaze asks that citizens please follow these curbside recycling guidelines:

Do Recycle The Following:

  • Newspaper  - Recycle all newspapers and inserts.  Paper Recycle regular mail, bulk business mail, office paper, school paper, paper brochures and handouts, cereal boxes, cake mix boxes, construction paper, magazines and catalogs. Please remove all plastic wrappers.
  • Steel/Tin Cans - Aluminum and steel cans. Rinse all food and beverage cans.
  • Plastic - All plastic bottles that have #1 or #2.
  • Corrugated - Cardboard All corrugated cardboard should be flattened and put inside the cart.

Do Not Recycle The Following:

• No garbage

• No medical waste of any kind

• No glass

• No Styrofoam

• No plastic toys

• No oil containers of any kind

• No plastic sheeting or large plastic containers

• No clothing or other fabrics


Recycling Can with decal
Please have bins to the curb by 6 a.m.

Single Stream Recycling



  • City residents receive a 96-gallon recycling can similar to their garbage can, if they choose to participate in curb-side recycling.
  • Those who live west of U.S. 31 will have recycling on the first and third Mondays, and those who live east of U.S. 31 on the second and fourth Mondays. This is subject to change if the city sees a need to enhance the routes. In months with a fifth Monday, there will not be recycling pickup on that fifth Monday.
  • Residents can put all of their recycling in the 96-gallon recycling container.
  •  Items not accepted include all glass and plastics with numbers 3-7. A new item that will be accepted is cardboard.
  • You can take glass to the Athens-Limestone Recycling Center:
    15896 Lucas Ferry Road
    Athens, AL 35611        
PLEASE CHECK WITH THE CENTER ABOUT SERVICES DURING COVID-19

https://www.facebook.com/AthensLimestoneRecyclingCenter             
256-233-8746