Fulton County, GA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Fulton County Code § 70-87(a)(2) sets curbside recycling as one of the minimum services every registered hauling contractor must supply to residential customers in unincorporated Fulton County: pickup, including a recycling container, at least once every other week. Section 70-81 defines recycling as "any process by which materials which would otherwise become solid waste are collected, separated or processed and reused or returned to use in the form of raw materials or products." Only contractors registered with the Department of Public Works under § 70-86 may provide this service; registration requires a state EPD solid waste handling permit, a county Board of Health permit, and the insurance and bonding levels set out in that section. Section 70-87(a)(6) encourages, but does not require, contractors to offer incentive-based pricing so customers who recycle more pay less, and nothing in the division stops a customer from negotiating extra recycling service under § 70-87(a)(5).

Like every rule in this division, the recycling mandate reaches unincorporated Fulton County only (§ 70-84(a)(1)). Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton, Chattahoochee Hills and South Fulton each set their own recycling programs under their own municipal codes; an address inside any of those cities is not covered by County Code Chapter 70. Fulton County also runs a monthly free drop-off for recyclable goods and yard trimmings at the Merk/Miles Transfer Station on the third Saturday of each month (§ 70-32), open to residents regardless of curbside service.