We’ve partnered with Live Thrive's CHaRM to recycle the materials in your Hard-to-Recycle Bag! The items are received at Live Thrive’s CHaRM where they are prepared to be refurbished, re-engineered, or recycled through local partners. 96% of all materials brought to Live Thrive's CHaRM are reused, recycled, or reengineered.

Live Thrive's CHaRM is an Atlanta-based, non-profit that is committed to verification and transparency, maintaining records and regularly auditing their supply chain. You can explore how each material is processed, here.

Click the links below to see examples of what is accepted in each stream.
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Small Hard-to-Recycle Bags
• Batteries
• Drinking Straws
• Plastic Utensils
• Small Electronics

Large Hard-to-Recycle Bags‍
• Plastic Film (Stretchy)
• Plastic Film (Crunchy Food-Grade)
• Plastic #1
• Plastic #2
• Plastic #4 & #6
• Plastic #5
• Textiles
• Styrofoam (No Packing Peanuts)‍

Not at this time. However, in the future, these items might become available as an accepted waste stream.

Curbside recycling programs can vary across a region, so this ensures that those without access to curbside programs can still recycle common items.

In addition, our Hard-to-Recycle services utilize a source-separated recycling model (all items are separated at the household level rather than at an aggregated facility). This model reduces contamination and enhances the recyclability of materials through trusted partners.

No. After we collect your full Hard-to-Recycle Bags, you can continue recycling your hard-to-recycle items by purchasing Hard-to-Recycle Bags as needed.

If you would like to receive Hard-to-Recycle Bags on a regular basis (every month, 3 months, or 6 months), you can opt into our “Subscribe & Save Time” feature on our store, and we'll automatically drop off your bags at the frequency of your choosing.

Separating the bags by stream helps ensure the items can be properly identified and sorted by our partners at Live Thrive.

We know that every household is different, and with this model you only pay for what you need! We want to help you keep items out of the landfill, and this lets you pick your streams so you’re getting the best value possible.

Yes. Due to van capacity, we can collect a maximum of 5 bags per collection.

Each Hard-to-Recycle Bag lists the materials that can be accepted as part of that stream, and specifies non-recyclable items for that stream as well. If you are unsure or have a specific question, please contact us at thedirt@compostnow.org.

Yes, items must be clean and dry.

For CompostNow Members: There is no scheduling needed! Whenever you are ready for collection, simply put your Hard-to-Recycle Bag beside your CompostNow bin on your regular collection day. The maximum number of bags we can take per pick-up is 5.

For non-CompostNow Members: You can schedule your pickup using this link. The maximum number of bags we can take per pick-up is 5.

For CompostNow Members: Nope! Besides the cost of purchasing a Hard-to-Recycle Bag via our online store, there are no additional fees for this service. 

For non-CompostNow Members: If you are not a CompostNow member, you will need to schedule and pay for your pick-up using this link when your Hard-to-Recycle Bag(s) are full. The maximum number of bags we can take per pick-up is 5.

If you have canceled your service, you can schedule your pickup using this link.

We do not offer returns or refunds for our Hard-to-Recycle Bags, however un-used bags can be brought to be Live Thrive's CHaRM to be recycled.

If you would like to receive Hard-to-Recycle Bags on a regular basis, you can opt into our “Subscribe & Save Time” feature on our store. This allows you to choose the quantity of Hard-to-Recycle Bags you’d like to receive and how often (every month, every 3 months, or every 6 months).

Tape battery terminals with non-conductive tape (clear packaging tape, electrical tape, duct tape) and store in a cool, dry area before collection. This is important for the safety of our team and it helps prevent fires.

‍Here is an example of clear packing tape that we recommend for taping battery terminals.