Athens CHaRM

Prior to the opening of CHaRM, hard to recycle materials and hazardous waste were collected during scheduled events throughout the year by the Solid Waste Department. A CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) is a one stop drop for items that can’t be recycled at the curb or at the Athens-Clarke County recycling drop-off sites because they are deemed "hard to recycle" due to their nature (chemical composition, hazardous components, size, distance to end-market, etc.). The first CHaRM in the United States was established in Boulder, Colorado and opened in 2001. Funding for the Athens-Clarke County CHaRM was made possible through the approval of the 2011 SPLOST. This funding provided improvements to the old Solid Waste Department location at 1005 College Avenue as well as much needed equipment for processing. The new CHaRM facility opened on November 9, 2015 which allowed for customers to bring hazardous and hard to recycle materials year round. Purchase of equipment as outlined in the Project Concept continues to be purchased as the facility continues to expand and take additional recyclable materials.