Inner City Gets Recycling Drop-Off Center

On 11-11-11 Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farm (TLW) expanded their sustainability commitment by opening Atlanta's first permanent household recycling drop-off center. Located in the Fourth Ward, inner city Atlanta, the new drop-off center gives a recycling option to those without curbside or mult-unit collection available.

Open seven days a week, the center accepts fiber (newsprint, cardboard, paper, magazines), plastics (#1 & 2) and glass.  SP Recycling and ReMIX Recycling partnered with TLW to gift Atlanta with the inner city recycling center.

Rashid working @ the farm

Rashid Nuri, TLW founder, is an urban pioneer dedicated to bringing agriculture to cities. Atlanta is fortunate Rashid calls this fine city home.  TLW urban farms make a tremendous impact by providing fresh, nutritious food and education to a population under-served in the inner city neighborhoods.  The recycling center is a natural expansion to the Wheat Street farm.



“Recycling is an important step to creating sustainable life and support for our local economy,” says Rashid, “What we return to the earth, the earth returns us.” Recycling has been a fundamental part TLW’s operations. The organization works with local restaurants, tree services and landscapers to recycle natural products into compost.


The EPA, Region IV  provided a grant to TLW Natural Urban Farm, Atlanta, Georgia, to support three areas:

spring @ Wheat Street urban farm

 1) educating interns using hands-on experience at the farm 2) educating the community about composting food waste (the compost is used on farm in the vegetable beds) and 3) water conservation using collected water from rain barrels.

Supporting sustainable or organic community food systems is good for the environment for many reasons. The use of petroleum based fertilizer is reduced or eliminated, transportation costs to get the food to consumers are reduced, pesticide use is minimized and the level of environmentalism is increased among the producers and consumers.

Since opening metro Atlanta operations in 2006, TLW produces 10,000 pounds annually of fresh, organic fruits & vegetables grown in an urban environment.  The organic crops are available to restaurants and residents through CSA  (community supported agriculture) and farmers markets.

Rashid accepting Arthur
Blank Youth Foundation grant

The Arthur Blank Youth Foundation granted funds for TLW to support their imperative mission necessary for cities to regain health and vitality.  A short video, Truly Living Well Wheat Street Garden, created by the foundation provides a snapshot of TLW's farm. The CNN story, A Look at Truly Living Well Urban Garden, communicates the impact of the Wheat Street farm by showing the surrounding inner city area, along with its historical significance.


Today is THANKSgiving Day - how appropriate to honor Rashid Nuri, a man dedicated to educating his fellow humans that urban agriculture and recycling are possible and a MUST.  THANK YOU Rashid!