Recycling at Talley

Talley follows the City of Decatur protocols for curbside recycling. However, we also have collection bins for several high-use items that can be recycled through the CHaRM Center and Staples. These include aluminum cans, snack wrappers, cleaning wipes canisters, plastic that cannot go in curbside recycling and printer/toner cartridges.

To learn more about items that can be recycled at Staples, click here.

For more about the CHaRM Center and the services it offers, click here. Note: Starting in January 2025, the DeKalb location will start offering Saturday appointments.

Plastic Film Collection

In Fall 2024, the House of Altruismo (in conjunction with our Green Team leaders) oversaw our first schoolwide collection of plastic film through Ridwell. Together we diverted nearly 360 pounds of plastic film from the landfill! And, thanks to the support of families who subscribed to Ridwell’s home pickup service, we earned free biweekly pickups at school from January 2025 through June 2025. To date, we have estimated diverting more than 800 pounds!

Thanks to the 10 families who signed up for Ridwell home service in the spring, Talley will have FREE plastic film pickup for the entire 2025-2026 school year. Our first collection…for House Points…will be Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Students and staff are encouraged to bring their clean, dry plastic film to the front lobby in the morning, as they arrive at school. Items that fall in this category are: shipping mailers, grocery and produce bags, zipper-top bags, bubble wrap, bread bags and newspaper bags. Rule of thumb: If you can push your finger through the plastic and stretch it, then it’s plastic film. Learn more here.

Want some tips on how you can reduce plastic consumption? Read this article from the Ridwell Community.

View these resources about plastic film:

All About Plastic Film
A Guide to Plastic Film
(Spanish version)

Other Collections

The Green Team is overseeing the collection of several commonly used household items for free recycling through Terracycle. All items may be dropped off to Mrs. Roberts in the Media Center.

Socks: All brands of used, clean socks. NOTE: Stockings, tights, and pantyhose are not accepted. This program is for used socks only, not donations of clean pairs.
Drink pouches: This collection is sponsored by Honest Kids, but ALL BRANDS of aluminum foil and plastic drink pouches (including straws!) may be sent in. Please squeeze excess liquid from the pouches.
Kroger Brand flexible packaging: This includes all flexible packaging under the Simple Truth™, Private Selection®, Kroger® Brand, Comforts®, Pet Pride®, Luvsome®, Abound® labels.
Laundry detergent tubs and pouches: We have two product-specific collections. One is limited to Tide and Gain laundry tubs and lids (Laundry jugs can be placed in Decatur's curbside recycling.); Tide and Downy pouches; Tide, Dreft and NBD. fabric care packaging; NBD. Eco-Box packaging; and NBD. bottles with triggers. The second collection is for ARM & HAMMER™ and OxiClean™ plastic laundry pouches.
Air freshener aerosols: This program is for Febreze brand aerosols only.
Swifer cleaning refills: This program is Swifer brand specific and is for USED duster refills, dry pad refills and wet pad refills only. NOTE: Wet pads should be dry before sending in. Cardboard packaging should be placed in your curbside recycling.

If you are a Terracycle member, please consider donating your points to Talley Street Upper Elementary to help the Green Team in its efforts.

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