The City of Milton is aware that some residents have been experiencing shortfalls with their curbside recycling and, in some cases, trash services. We understand the real, difficult issues this causes for our citizens. We also know the legitimate, unforeseen reasons why this is happening – with the City’s two biggest waste management haulers coping with recent staffing shortages because high numbers of their employees are sick with COVID-19.

In Milton, private companies who wish to do business picking up trash and recycling here can if they satisfy all the City’s requirements and apply to do so. With this system, the City does not have a direct role in waste management since residents contract with individual private companies. However, City staff recognize the importance of this service to our community and work with providers to ensure our residents are well served.

Waste Management and Republic are the two companies that serve the most residents in Milton. And the City has heard from them about the last few weeks’ surge in COVID-19 (tied to the highly infectious Omicron variant) causing significant numbers of their workers to stay home sick.

Because of those staff shortages (which are also affecting many other communities nationwide), Waste Management and Republic customers in Milton may not now offer the same services – in the short-term, presumably – as they did a few months ago. This might include days-long delays in pick-ups. And for public health and other reasons, both companies are prioritizing the gathering of household trash over recycling. In other words, if they have half the number of drivers as usual available, those available drivers will take trash from more households instead of picking up recycling.

If you have specific questions about billing, policies, or other service issues, please contact your provider (Waste Management or Republic) directly.

We do not know how long this situation will last, with so much continued uncertainty in this pandemic. Still, the City will keep communicating with Waste Management and Republic on ways forward in the coming weeks. People also have the option of putting their recycling items into their vehicle and bringing them to:

• Keep North Fulton Beautiful at 470 Morgan Falls Road, Sandy Springs (https://keepnorthfultonbeautiful.org/recycling-center-1)
• The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) at 1110 Hill St. SE, Atlanta (https://livethrive.org/charm/)
• Pickens County Recycling Center at 390 Appalachian Court, Jasper GA and Pickens County Recycling Center - East Side at 9720 Cove Rd., Marble Hill (https://pickenscountyga.gov/recycling-waste/)
• Smyrna Recycling Education Center at 3475 Lake Drive, Smyrna (https://www.smyrnaga.gov/your-government/departments/keep-smyrna-beautiful/recycling)

There's no cost at these locations to recycle more common items such as cardboard, paper or low-number plastics, though some fees may apply to more hard-to-recycle items. Please consider calling or checking ahead at any of these places to confirm their hours and (especially if you have different sorts of times) fees.

Over the longer-term – and in line with the 2040 Comprehensive Plan – the City continues to explore improvements to recycling and trash services in Milton. For the latest developments on this front and others, follow the City’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/thecityofmiltonga/) and our special webpage focused on sustainability at www.miltonga.gov/sustainability.