DeKalb is celebrating the opening of its Live Thrive Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) on June 12.
The organization’s second CHaRM offers more recycling opportunities and includes a learning garden and compost space, with plans to add a fruit forest, bee yard, and more.
Made possible through a partnership with DeKalb County’s Parks and Recreation Department, the new CHaRM DeKalb is located at 1225 Columbia Dr. in Decatur.
Live Thrive has been advocating for sustainable practices for more than a decade. CHaRM Atlanta, which opened in 2015, was the nonprofit’s first permanent facility for the recycling of materials that cannot be processed by curbside recycling. In 2023 alone, the CHaRM Atlanta location diverted more than 5.7 million pounds of waste and materials.
“With CHaRM DeKalb, Live Thrive is making recycling of everything from Styrofoam to mattresses more convenient for residents and businesses,” said Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe, executive director, Live Thrive. “But we are also doing much more. With this location, we are creating a community space through various types of programs, as we seek to educate children and adults about the ease and importance of incorporating sustainable practices into their daily lives.”
The new center will accept hard-to-recycle materials and compost, along with typical curbside recycling items. At CHaRM DeKalb, visitors can drop off items like cardboard and glass, as well as bicycles, paint, musical instruments, tires and household chemicals. With an emphasis on reuse, Live Thrive works with numerous community and nonprofit partners, such as Gift of Music Foundation and Free Bikes 4 Kidz, to put as many items as possible back into circulation.
In addition to operating the CHaRM DeKalb recycling facility, at the new location, Live Thrive will provide environmental education at the State Farm Learning Garden. Live Thrive will partner with local schools and community groups to expand educational efforts around recycling and the environment. In the coming months, a bee yard, pollinator garden and fruit forest will welcome visitors for events and experiences.
The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials will operate Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations required. VIP Members recieve early access beginning at 8 a.m., without reservations.
