CHaRM DeKalb in Decatur will start accepting vapes for recycling Thursday, Oct. 1, and is already taking donated medical equipment through a new partnership with a disability nonprofit.
The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), operated by Live Thrive, is expanding services at its DeKalb County location. The facility serves all DeKalb County residents, including those in Dunwoody and Brookhaven. Live Thrive founder Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe launched CHaRM as a permanent drop-off site for household hazardous waste and other materials not accepted at the curb.
The vape program, first reported by Axios Atlanta, is a partnership with Marietta-based Novus Solutions. Vapes cannot go in household trash or curbside recycling bins because of their lithium-ion batteries and plastic or aluminum casings. Novus will dismantle, shred and separate the materials for safe recycling.
The fee is $1 per vape for quantities up to one pound. Drop-offs heavier than one pound cost $3.50 per pound.
Live Thrive said in a press release that the pilot offers a safe disposal option to reduce risks from improper vape disposal. The organization added that while it does not endorse vaping, it recognizes the products' growing prevalence has created environmental and safety concerns.
The medical equipment program, reported by Rough Draft Atlanta, pairs Live Thrive with Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC). Residents and businesses can drop off power wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, rollators, crutches, canes, children's adaptive equipment, home healthcare beds, Hoyer lifts, shower chairs, bedside commodes and bedside tables.
There is no fee.
FODAC will collect the items, refurbish and sanitize them, then redistribute them to people who need them. The equipment program is available only at the DeKalb location, not at CHaRM Atlanta. A full list of accepted items is at livethrive.org/charm/items-we-accept.
CHaRM DeKalb is at 1225 Columbia Dr. in Decatur and operates by appointment only on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The phone number is 404-600-6386.
Upcoming Live Thrive events
- A CHaRM'ing Evening fundraiser: Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Stave Room. Features a Yacht Rock Revue performance, a "dress in your favorite decade" costume contest, and hors d'oeuvres with beer, wine and cocktails.
- Corporate + Community Challenge: The sixth edition runs Nov. 3, 2026, through April 29, 2027. Since the program began in 2021, participants have diverted more than 700,000 pounds of materials from Atlanta-area landfills and waterways.
