Where hard to recycle materials get a second life

Name: Where hard to recycle materials get a second life
Uploaded: 2026-03-19T21:37:09.000Z
Duration: 4 min 14 s
Description: On World Recycling Day, we take a look inside Atlanta’s CHaRM— the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials— where everyday items that don’t belong in your curbside bin get a second life. From old electronics to household chemicals, this facility is helping keep thousands of pounds of materials out of landfills and showing how small actions can make a big environmental impact.

Global Recycling Day: Importance and Initiatives

Introduction to Live Thrive and Charm

Peggy Whitlo Ratcliffe introduces herself as the founder and executive director of Live Thrive, a nonprofit organization focused on recycling.

The premier program of Live Thrive is Charm, which stands for the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials.

Community Engagement in Recycling

Charm attracts 300 to 400 visitors daily who bring various recyclable materials, ensuring proper recycling practices.

The organization emphasizes the importance of reusing items, especially during their preparations for an overseas move.

Understanding Hard-to-Recycle Materials

"Hard to recycle" refers to items that cannot be placed in curbside bins and require specialized recycling processes.

Styrofoam is highlighted as a problematic material that should not end up in landfills due to its long-lasting environmental impact.

Recycling Process at Charm

The facility processes hard-to-recycle materials by shredding them and transforming them into new products, such as insulation ceiling tiles.

This process helps divert waste from landfills while creating useful materials from what would otherwise be discarded.

Importance of Plastic Recycling

Each plastic item has a resin code indicated by a triangle on its bottom, which identifies the type of plastic for proper recycling.

Emphasizing the need for recycling plastics instead of relying on oil resources, Peggy notes that petroleum is costly and finite.

Video description

On World Recycling Day, we take a look inside Atlanta’s CHaRM— the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials— where everyday items that don’t belong in your curbside bin get a second life. From old electronics to household chemicals, this facility is helping keep thousands of pounds of materials out of landfills and showing how small actions can make a big environmental impact.