Items We Accept
***We do not pay for recyclables, we are a recycling drop-off center only***
Common Recyclables--Must be clean, and free of food debris
- Aluminum Cans
- Cardboard & Chipboard: Clean, dry, and uncoated in a plastic film. (This means no paper/ cardboard milk cartons or paper cups.)
- Glass Bottles & Jars: Clean, food-grade only
- Magazines
- Newspaper
- Paper: Office & Classroom
- Phone Books
- Plastic #1 (PET) Bottles only! These are usually beverage bottles. Nothing without a narrow neck, please!
- Plastic #2 (HDPE) These are usually milk jugs, detergent bottles, or shampoo bottles.
- Scrap Metal: steel, iron, brass, copper, aluminum
- Steel & Tin Cans
Electronics
- Batteries of all types EXCEPT alkaline (tape the ends and discard in trash)
- For more information on how to properly dispose of Alkaline batteries, please see this article.
- Cell phones
- Computers: laptops and desktop towers
- Computer Accessories (NOTE: Monitors and printers incur a fee and are available to Sandy Springs and Johns Creek Residents only. See below for fee information)
- Printer Cartridges: Inkjet and Laser
- Miscellaneous Electronics: See here for a complete list
Household Items/Other Items
- Appliances that do not contain Freon
- Appliances with Freon such as refrigerators, wine coolers, and dehumidifiers (these incur a fee and are available to Sandy Springs and Johns Creek residents only. See below for fee information) No vacuum cleaners please.
- Books
- Clothing and shoes (donated to charity)
- F.O.G. (cooking Fats, Oils & Grease) Must be liquid--no palm oil or hardened grease please.
- Small Furniture in excellent, like-new condition (donated to charity)
- 🚫 NO large or damaged furniture please! Consider taking good-conditioned items to your nearby Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
- Home Medical Equipment: wheelchairs, walkers, etc. - complete list here (donated to charity)
- Small Household Items in excellent condition (donated to charity)
- Bulky Metal Items and Metal Appliances that do Not contain Freon: bookshelves, lawn furniture, fences, lamps, door handles, decorative items, grills, dryers
Items We Accept with Fees
How to bring an item with a fee:
1. Park
2. Pay at our office window
3. Take your item to the correct recycling location or ask for forklift assistance if needed.
Cash is accepted at the window only; please do not pay anyone in the parking lot
Document Shredding
Document shredding is available each day. Documents are stored in a locked bin inside a locked trailer. Once per week, our shredding partner shreds the documents on site. ($1.00 per pound)
The following items contain hazardous materials and incur a fee in order to properly recycle. We accept these items from residents of the City of Sandy Springs ONLY.
How to bring an item with a fee: 1. Park 2. Pay at our office window 3. Take your item to the correct recycling location or ask for forklift assistance if needed.
- Appliances with Freon such as refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, A/C units: $30
- TVs and Monitors--Please view these resources first before deciding to recycle your electronics with us as a last resort.
- CRT TV or Monitor 29" and up: $55
- CRT TV or Monitor smaller than 29": $30
- LCD TV or Monitor 60" and up: $25
- LCD TV or Monitor smaller than 60": $15
- Printers
- Tabletop models: $5
- Floor models: $20
- Fluorescent light bulbs (price per bulb)
- Compact curly style: $1
- Tubes under 4': $2
- Tubes 4' and up: $5
- Smoke detectors: $2
- Thermometers, thermostats, & other items with mercury: $5
We accept cash, checks, and all major credit cards.
Items We Do Not Accept
If your items are usable, try giving them away at Freecycle, Lifecycle Building Center, or ReStore. If your items are not usable, check out the items that CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) takes in Atlanta, GA and see if your item may be taken there.
If the resources above can't take them, check with your contracted waste hauler. Additionally, if you are not a resident of Johns Creek or Sandy Springs, check with your local county or city for recommendations.
Finally, Keep North Fulton Beautiful does hold several special events during the year--some events alternate years--to assist Sandy Springs and Johns Creek residents in safe disposal of bulky trash and recyclables, household hazardous waste, and Christmas trees. Stay tuned to our Events Calendar and social media as these events are added throughout the year.
🚫 No Aerosol Cans
🚫 No Baby Furniture (non-metal)
🚫 No Brita Filters
- KNFB can't accept these at our facility, but Brita has a free recycling program for them! Learn how here.
🚫 No Carpet or rugs
🚫 No Children's Car Seats
🚫 No Construction Debris
- Also try Metro Green. You can find their website at Metro Green or try these landfills.
🚫 No Sheet Glass, Plates, glasses, Vases, or glass besides clean food-grade glass (a food item or beverage was sealed and SOLD in it)
- Donate, throw away, turn into a creative project or visit Earth911 for the nearest collection facility.
🚫 No Household Hazardous Waste
- Check out our calendar of upcoming events.
- For information on the safe management of Household Hazardous Waste, and reducing HHW in your home, visit the EPA's website.
🚫 No Mattresses and Box Springs
- If you remove the metal springs from the box springs, the metal can be recycled here as scrap metel. for the remaining parts, check with your waste hauler, or one of these landfills.
🚫 No Milk Cartons
- Paper or cardboard milk cartons are coated in plastic to keep fluids from leaking through which means they are actually unable to be recycled at our facility. See Earth911.com for other options.
🚫 No Motor Fluids, this includes oils and coolants
- Take to Pep Boys or O'Reilly Auto Parts.
🚫 No Needles/Sharps
- Follow instructions here.
🚫 No Paint
- Try your local community, church, or school theater first to see if they need it, or try giving it away on Craigslist, Freecycle, Nextdoor, or other social media outlets.
- For a fee, take it to Atlanta Paint Disposal, who will recycle it. Drop off locations are available in various locations around Atlanta and they also offer porch pick ups.
- Take it to the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials in Atlanta, who will recycle it. Check their website or call at 404-600-6386 for hours and more detailed information.
- Use a paint solidifier, such as the ones featured HERE to quickly dry up your paint, then throw it away with your regular trash.
- Fill with cat litter, shredded newspaper, or sand to solidify the paint and throw away with your regular trash.
🚫 No Plastic Bags, Film, Bubble Wrap, or Mailers
- Bring these clean dry items to your local grocery store for recycle. This includes black plastics.
🚫 No Plastics OTHER than #1 and #2 bottles
- Most places do not accept other plastics because there is not a strong commercial market for them at the moment. Visit Earth911 for the nearest collection facility.
🚫 No Styrofoam (Polystyrene )
- Visit Earth911 for the nearest collection facility.
🚫 No Tanks of Any Kind--(propane/helium/other)
- Try returning the item to the retailer.
- Read this.
🚫 No Tires
- Places that sell tires usually accept old ones. Contact your local tire provider.
🚫 No Vacuum Cleaners
🚫 No Wooden or Plastic Furniture Large and Unfit for Resale
🚫 Yard Waste
- We recommend composting.
- Note: In March 2011, the Georgia Legislature lifted a ban on disposing of yard trimmings in lined landfills. Therefore, many residential curbside waste haulers are now collecting yard waste, even if they did not in the past. Check with your waste hauler to see if they collect yard trimmings. Otherwise, yard trimmings can be taken to landfill at the list below. Fees will apply. Call before you go for details.
Paint Recycling & Disposal
Our Recycling Center is unable to process paint, but you still have a few options:
- Wait for one of KNFB's Household Hazardous Waste Events in your area.
- Atlanta Paint Disposal: Schedule a porch pick up or take it to one of their drop off locations (including some Benjamin Moore stores) that collect paint on their behalf. They will collect and recycle your paint for a fee.
- CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) Located in Atlanta. Check their website or call at 404-600-6386 for hours and more information.
- Roswell Recycling Center (Roswell residents only)
- Alpharetta Public Works (Alpharetta residents only)
- Try your local community, church, or school theater to see if they need it for a project.
- Give it away on Craigslist, Freecycle, Nextdoor, or social media outlets.
- Use a paint solidifier, such as cat litter, shredded newspaper, or sand to dry up your paint, then throw it away with your regular trash.
- Try using the search feature on earth911.com for additional options.
- A special note from KNFB: KNFB is only able to process paint at our Household Hazardous Waste Events as we will have use of special equipment and a professional hazardous waste crew for THAT DAY ONLY. Additionally, paint must be in liquid form to be processed at these events. Our Sandy Springs Recycling Center is unable to process paint of any kind as we simply do not have the equipment to do so. Please use one of the options listed above to dispose of your paint thoughtfully.
Want to be the first to hear about our events? Click here to subscribe. Note: Household Hazardous Waste Events are open only to Sandy Springs or Johns Creek residents. Residency requirements will be clearly noted in event communication.
Sandy Springs Farmers' Market
Come meet our new director, Colleen! She'll be at a booth promoting Keep North Fulton Beautiful and its new pilot composting program, spearheaded by Kara Hutton, rising junior at North Springs High School.
Find us at The Sandy Spring Farmers' Market
Sauturday, July 12th at City Springs from 8:30am - 12pm.