What to Recycle Curbside
Gwinnett County uses single-stream recycling, so recyclable materials are all put into the same truck and are sorted at the processing facility. There is no need to separate your recyclables in your curbside recycling bin. No matter where you are in Gwinnett, either in the unincorporated area of the county or within a city, what you can recycle curbside is the same: Empty plastic bottles and jugs that are marked with a #1 or a #2 resin identification code (the number inside the recycling symbol); empty metal food and beverage cans; empty aerosol cans; drink cartons; paper (except shredded paper); magazines and junk mail; and flattened cardboard. It’s very important to stick to this list — when we put other items in our bin or cart, it causes big problems. If your city or hauler says it can accept many more items, such as “plastics #1-7” (which means all plastic), it is outdated and inaccurate.
Remember these recycling tips:
- Don’t bag your recyclables — always put them loose into your bin or cart. Bags cause terrible tangles!
- Empty and rinse containers, and screw caps and lids back on.
- If you want to recycle things that aren’t accepted curbside, or if you don’t have access to curbside collection, explore our recycling directory to discover local drop-off sites for items of all kinds.
Download our flyer with the latest Gwinnett recycling list. Recycling right is important, so print out the flyer, put it on the refrigerator for your family to see, and share it on NextDoor and other social media to help get the word out.
Recycling in Unincorporated Gwinnett
The majority of Gwinnett County citizens live in unincorporated areas of the county (the white areas in the map), where curbside recycling is available to all homes but currently not to all apartments. Residential solid waste and recycling service for residents in homes in unincorporated Gwinnett costs $20.50 per month ($246 per year), with a 25% senior discount available to those who qualify. This base service includes weekly collection of one 95-gallon cart of trash and one 65-gallon cart of recyclables.
After initially establishing service, payment for solid waste services is made as part of your property tax bill. The Gwinnett County Solid Waste and Recovered Materials program is mandatory for all residents. Since the trash and recycling fee is bundled in unincorporated Gwinnett County, there is no reason not to recycle! If you don’t have a recycling container and you would like to get one at no cost, or if you’d like to upgrade your open bin to a covered 65-gallon cart, contact your hauler. For more information about the curbside recycling program in unincorporated Gwinnett, visit Gwinnett County Solid Waste Management’s website, call 770-822-7141, or email gcsolidwaste@gwinnettcounty.com.
Recycling in Gwinnett Municipalities
Within city limits, residential curbside recycling availability differs. Recycling from your city is taken to the same processing facilities as the unincorporated county’s recycling, so the list of accepted recyclables is the same. Reminder: Recyclables accepted are empty plastic bottles and jugs that are marked with a #1 or a #2 resin identification code (the number inside the recycling symbol); empty metal food and beverage cans; empty aerosol cans; drink cartons; paper (except shredded paper); magazines and junk mail; and flattened cardboard.
- Auburn: Republic Services picks up recycling once a week.
- Berkeley Lake: Waste Management (formerly Advanced Disposal) picks up recycling once a week.
- Braselton: Braselton residents must contract with private companies for sanitation services. Ask your hauler about their recycling program options; some offer these services in addition to standard waste collection.
- Buford: Does not offer curbside recycling. Call the city at 770-945-6761 or email info@cityofbuford.com to inform officials that you want curbside recycling. Ask friends and neighbors to contact the city too! The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Bogan Park.
- Dacula: The city picks up recycling every other week. The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Duncan Creek Park, Harbins Park, and Rabbit Hill Park.
- Duluth: Republic Services picks up recycling once a week. City of Duluth residents may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to the Duluth Public Works Complex at 2450 Main Street between the hours of 3pm and 6pm Monday through Friday and 8am and 3pm on Saturday.
- Grayson: Latham Home Sanitation picks up recycling once a week, for customers who opt in to the program at additional cost.
- Lawrenceville: Latham Home Sanitation picks up recycling every other week. The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to the Lawrenceville Public Works Complex at 435 West Pike Street, as well as to Bethesda Park and the Collins Hill Aquatic Center.
- Lilburn: Waste Management (formerly Advanced Disposal) picks up recycling once a week.
- Loganville: Waste Management (formerly Advanced Disposal) picks up recycling once a week.
- Norcross: Waste Management (formerly Advanced Disposal) picks up recycling once a week. City of Norcross residents may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to the Public Works facility at 345 Lively Avenue 24/7. The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Lucky Shoals Park and OneStop Norcross.
- Peachtree Corners: Waste Management picks up recycling once a week. City of Peachtree Corners residents may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Waste Management’s BJ Transfer Station at 6461 Corley Road. The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Pinckneyville Park.
- Snellville: Waste Management (formerly Advanced Disposal) picks up recycling once a week. The general public may also take recyclable materials to the Snellville Recycling Center at 2531 Marigold Road, off Lenora Church Road in Briscoe Park. Visit the City of Snellville’s website for the center’s latest operating hours and accepted recyclables list. The general public may also bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Lenora Park.
- Sugar Hill: Waste Management (formerly Advanced Disposal) picks up recycling every other week. The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to E.E. Robinson Park.
- Suwanee: Suwanee residents must contract with private companies for sanitation services. Ask your hauler about their recycling program options; some offer these services in addition to standard waste collection. The general public may bring glass beverage bottles and food jars for recycling to Peachtree Ridge Park.