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Center for hard-to-recycle materials opens Saturday

The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials opens April 18. Credit: Andria Lavine Photography
The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials opens April 18. Credit: Andria Lavine Photography
April 9, 2015

If you’ve got paint, household chemicals, toilets, mattresses or other items to dispose of, there will soon be a place to recycle them in Atlanta.

The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials, run by nonprofit Livethrive Atlanta, debuts April 18 and will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It is the state’s first permanent facility for hard-to-recycle materials, said Livethrive executive director Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe.

The center will recycle things including electronics, batteries, tires, pesticides, expired medications, grease, light bulbs, plastic bags, Styrofoam and other items. Recycling some of the items requires paying a fee, including a $10 fee for mattresses and a $5 fee for toilets. More information is on Livethrive's website. The center will also take shoes, books, musical instruments, sports equipment, bikes and other items to give to local nonprofits for reuse.

“Everything that someone calls to ask [about], we will try to find a place for it,” Ratcliffe said.

The center leases land for the site at 1110 Hill St. SE from the City of Atlanta for $1 a year, and Livethrive works with city council members for recycling events.

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As business team lead, Kelly Yamanouchi edits and writes business stories. She graduated from Harvard and has a master's degree from Northwestern.

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