Being a person who eats out in restaurants a few times a week, I am regularly confronted with the question of what happens to the glass, can and paper products that can be recycled but are not at most restaurants in our area. So I called Mr. Sean Woodson, Superintendent of Sanitation Services in the City of Decatur to inquire what Decatur does to address the restaurant recycling issue.

Mr. Woodson was most helpful and enthusiastic about the progress that Decatur is making in its efforts to become a sustainable city. Recently Decatur passed an ordinance that will enable large multi family condo and apartment complexes to participate in the city's recycling program. Mr. Woodson stated that the city's next goal is to do the same type of project with local restaurants.

Currently, Decatur only provides cardboard recycling for restaurants. For instance, restaurants around the Decatur Square - Leon's, Starbucks, Brick Store Pub and Zucca - have a large recycling bin behind those storefronts. The restaurants in Oakhurst also share a large cardboard recycling bin.

According to Mr. Woodson, restaurants have to pay a fee of $180 per year to have the cardboard picked up. If the restaurant wants to recycle additional materials it must arrange to do so on its own.

I am happy to hear that Decatur is beginning to address this issue - it is such a no-brainer. Next, I'll check in with the city of Atlanta and Dekalb County to see what they are planning in the exciting world of restaurant recycling.