The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials Atlanta (CHaRM) announced this week it will relocate after 11 years in Chosewood Park, moving to Bankhead by the end of 2026.
With locations in Fulton and DeKalb County, CHaRM handles the recycling of styrofoam, household chemicals and paint, appliances, electronics and a wide range of plastics that cannot be processed through city recycling.
CHaRM is currently leasing the four-acre property at 1110 Hill Street from Atlanta Housing. When the lease expires this year, the recycling center will relocate to the Bowen Homes redevelopment site in northwest Atlanta – another Atlanta Housing property.
The Bowen Homes redevelopment, which received a $40 million federal grant in 2023 and broke ground in 2025, is set to become mixed-income housing, parks, community spaces and integrated trails.
Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe, founder and executive director of Live Thrive, said she never expected to have the opportunity to remain in one location for more than a decade.
“Remaining in the same location for 11 years was truly a gift. During that time, we built a wonderful and supportive community around our mission. Together, we helped thousands of residents and businesses responsibly recycle materials that would otherwise end up in Atlanta’s landfills and waterways, and we are proud of the impact we have made,” Ratcliffe said.
Ratcliffe said CHaRM will remain focused on supporting the community as it transitions to the next chapter.
The reason for CHaRM’s move remains in the minds of Atlantans. David Mitchell of the Atlanta Preservation Center said Chosewood Park has been the fastest growing park and neighborhood in the City of Atlanta, causing real estate to remain desirable. Still, people need a place to take items they no longer need or cannot make use of.
“The promise of increasing facilities and opportunity is great, and while historic preservation is anchored to concepts of singular, old buildings, preserving our society also has a value,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said Atlanta Housing, the Beltline, and the City of Atlanta and the neighborhood should want to keep CHaRM on Hill Street.
“If we’re already struggling with economic return on recycling, moving CHaRM to a location further away from your current client base doesn’t seem to be the way to promote it,” said Mitchell.
Georgia Tech environmental scientist Iman Maxberry said the university’s Zero Waste 2050 goal is supported by programs like CHaRM. His department, the Office of Solid Waste and Recycling, is dropping styrofoam and plastics at CHaRM on a weekly basis.
“From an environmental standpoint, and as an Atlanta native, the city’s infrastructure has a ways to go to be able to recycle items outside of plastic and aluminum, which is why CHaRM has been so pivotal,” Maxberry said.
CHaRM Atlanta has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors, 250 school groups and 500 corporate and civic groups. Since 2021, Live Thrive’s Corporate + Community Challenge has collected more than 600,000 pounds for proper reuse and recycling. Last month alone, both locations reached maximum visitor capacity on Saturdays – a reflection of the increasing demand for services, a CHaRM spokesperson said.
“CHaRM is an invaluable asset to congregations and individuals working to reduce waste because they accept such a wide range of hard-to-recycle materials. We’re excited that Live Thrive is expanding its facilities, and we hope their move will help even more communities sustainably part with these materials,” Hannah Shultz, program director at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), said.
