Sandy Springs, GA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Every contracted residential and commercial hauler
- Minimum recyclables
- At least one common category collected
- Disposal requirement
- Delivered to licensed material recovery facility
- Grandfather cutoff
- April 3, 2023 for existing accounts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 46-22(a)(2)
- Added by
- Ord. No. 2023-01-01, Jan. 17, 2023
Summary
Every residential waste hauler under contract with Sandy Springs must offer curbside recycling to single-family customers and curbside or on-site recycling to multifamily and non-residential customers. City Code Sec. 46-22(a)(2) requires at least one category of common recyclables, delivered to a licensed material recovery facility rather than a landfill.
(2)The company must offer a curbside recycling collection program for residential single-family customers, and curbside/on-site recycling for multifamily and non-residential customers. The recycling program must include the regular collection of at least one category of commonly recyclable goods (ex: paper and cardboard; plastics #1-7; aluminum and steel cans, etc.). The recyclable materials collected must be delivered ultimately to a licensed material recovery facility (MRF), and not disposed of at a landfill.(3)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a company in good standing and authorized to do business in the city as of April 3, 2023, but does not offer a recycling collection program for residential customers on April 3, 2023, shall not be required to comply with the requirements of subsection (a)(2) above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24 | Development Code: Supplement 2 | Technical Manuals: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. " The mandate applies to every company operating under the city's nonexclusive waste-hauling contract established at Sec. 46-20, so it binds each private hauler doing business in Sandy Springs rather than creating a single city-run program. Sec. 46-22(a)(3) carves out a grandfather exception: a company already in good standing and authorized to do business in the city as of April 3, 2023, that did not offer a residential recycling program on that date, "shall not be required to comply with the requirements of subsection (a)(2)" -- meaning some legacy residential accounts may still lack curbside recycling.
Companies must also mark every collection receptacle, including recycling containers, with the company's name and phone number in letters at least 1½ inches tall under subsection (e), and are responsible for educating customers on recycling best practices under subsection (g). The recycling requirement was added by Ord. No. 2023-01-01 on January 17, 2023, and most recently amended by Ord. No. 2024-12-18 on December 3, 2024.
Violations & Fines
A hauler that skips the required recycling program for accounts opened after April 3, 2023, is operating outside its nonexclusive city contract, which Sec. 46-20(b) treats as an offense. Persistent noncompliance can trigger revocation or non-renewal of the company's contract under Sec. 46-22(e), on top of the general Sec. 1-10 Code penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is curbside recycling mandatory in Sandy Springs?
Why doesn't my hauler offer recycling?
Where does recycled material go after pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sandy Springs
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle recycling requirements.