Atlanta Recycling and Scrap Laws

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Environmental Regulations and Guidelines

According to County, State, and Federal EPA laws in Atlanta that regulate the specific details regarding scrap recycling, some materials are considered hazardous and/or environmentally unacceptable. It would be a severe violation of EPA guidelines and those principles held by our company to accept materials such as:

  • Asbestos
  • Oil or fuel
  • Magnesium
  • Freon
  • Non-metal items
  • Propane tanks
  • Improperly deposited gas tanks (tanks still containing gasoline)
  • Radioactive materials
  • Televisions
  • Computer Monitors
  • 55 gallon drums or barrels
  • Sealed vessels
  • Capacitors
  • Light ballast

The recycling of these items is highly regulated or prohibited. Marietta Recycling strives to uphold strict environmental guidelines, and we strongly enforce both our policies and EPA policies.

Accepted items are ferrous (steel) and non ferrous (copper, brass, aluminum, etc.). The following precautions must be taken before accepted items can be processed and recycled:

Flammable or toxic fluids must be completely drained from metal (for example, gas tanks or items containing Freon).

Any glass parts must be completely removed.

Metal Theft

Metal theft is the unlawful acquisition of metallic items for the illegal purpose of distributing them for profit. The increasing occurrences of metal theft in Atlanta have become an enormous concern for citizens, government agencies and scrap metal recycling centers alike. Metal thieves prey on vehicles, construction sites, homes and even cemeteries to acquire metal scrap and sell it for profit. This particularly became a huge issue during low points in the economy.

Metals such as brass, aluminum and copper have been the most common items to be stolen by metal thieves. Statistics have revealed in recent years, however, that the theft of steel is rapidly rising as the prices for other metallic items go down. Atlanta County and city law enforcement, as well as Marietta, are working to reduce the rate of criminal metal theft by implementing public awareness programs and educating police officers about the crime. Marietta Recycling and numerous other scrap metal centers have been working tirelessly to reduce metal theft, and are responsible for a very notable decrease in such activity.