Thousands more recycling in DeKalb

DeKalb County saw 6,400 new residents sign up for recycling in the first three months after making the service free.

After eliminating the $30 start-up fee, more than 4,000 residents joined the service in the first month after became free in late September. By December, that number had grown to 6,400.

The increase is the equivalent of about 4 percent more customers, added to the 21 percent who had been recycling. The county’s goal is to get 40 percent of its 159,000 customers to recycle in the next four years.