What Live Thrive, Inc does

Live Thrive, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operates the CHaRM (Centers for Hard to Recycle Materials) program — the only permanent drop-off facilities for household hazardous waste and hard-to-recycle materials in Metro Atlanta. Its core service is the physical collection, sorting, and routing of items not accepted in curbside recycling — including chemicals, paint, electronics, appliances, mattresses, tires, Styrofoam, clothing, books, and musical instruments — at two permanent sites (CHaRM Atlanta opened April 2015 and CHaRM DeKalb opened June 2024), with on-site processing equipment including a Styrofoam densifier, balers, and sorting stations. Live Thrive supports this operations backbone with a mobile app (iOS/Android) and web portal for QR-code appointment check-in, and complements drop-off service with Zero Waste Patrol residential pickup, document shredding events, the annual Kids Day event, and educational programming including the STE(A)M Certification Grant Program and facility tours that reached 850+ students across 20 DeKalb County schools in the past year.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led: residents and businesses book appointments, drop off materials on a per-item or per-pound fee schedule, and Live Thrive routes collected streams to a network of more than 20 specialized downstream partners — Smurfit WestRock (paper/paper-based packaging), Trex (plastic film into decking), Liberty Tire Recycling (tires), KW Plastics (corrugated plastic), Georgia Recycle Solutions (Styrofoam insulation), Novus Solutions (electronics), SA Recycling (appliances), and reuse-focused nonprofits such as Atlanta Furniture Bank, Gift of Music Foundation, Green Zone, Clean Earth Books, CompostNow, Recycle for Good, and Atlanta Toolbank. Revenue is generated through a mix of recycling fees, corporate sponsorships (Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta, Novelis, State Farm, LuluMa), grants (notably a $500,000 State Farm Century of Good grant in 2022), and individual donations. The organization processed over 5.7 million pounds of material in 2024 (approximately 7 million pounds total across both facilities), with a stated 94% reuse, refurbishment, recycling, or re-engineering rate, and is led by Founder and Executive Director Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe.

Name

Live Thrive, Inc

Legal name

Live Thrive, Inc

Website

https://livethrive.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Live Thrive is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that operates CHaRM, Metro Atlanta's only permanent drop-off facilities for household hazardous waste and hard-to-recycle materials, serving residents and businesses across two locations with a reuse-first, community-led model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta, Georgia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Recycling Fees: Fees charged per item or pound for various materials dropped off at CHaRM facilities. Fees vary by material type with different rates for residents vs. businesses. Revenue supports facility operations.
2. Grants and Sponsorships: Funding from grants, corporate sponsorships, and donations. All CHaRM operations expenses are paid from grants, sponsorships, donations and recycling fees. Major sponsors include Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta, Novelis, and State Farm.
3. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Live Thrive relies heavily on donations from the public to support operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Live Thrive operates CHaRM (Centers for Hard to Recycle Materials), Atlanta's only permanent drop-off facilities where residents and businesses can dispose of household hazardous waste and materials not accepted at the curb. Operations span two locations (CHaRM Atlanta and CHaRM DeKalb), supported by on-site Styrofoam densification, a mobile scheduling app, educational programs, the Corporate + Community Challenge, and the STE(A)M Certification Grant Program for schools.

Product overview

Live Thrive operates CHaRM (Centers for Hard to Recycle Materials) as its core program, offering two permanent drop-off facilities in Atlanta and Decatur where residents and businesses can safely dispose of household hazardous waste and hard-to-recycle materials. The organization complements its recycling operations with educational programs, the Corporate + Community Challenge competition, STE(A)M Certification Grants for schools, annual Kids Day events, document shredding services, and a mobile appointment booking app. The portfolio works together to advance the nonprofit's mission of environmental sustainability through reuse, recycling, and community education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CHaRM: Centers for Hard to Recycle Materials - Live Thrive's premier program offering permanent drop-off facilities for household hazardous waste and hard-to-recycle materials

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of materials brought to CHaRM are reused, refurbished, recycled, or re-engineered
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, minor and major.

• Keep Georgia Beautiful FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHaRM is an official Bring One for the Chipper collection site, a program of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation. Live Christmas trees collected December-January are chipped and turned into mulch for parks and fish habitats.
• Smurfit WestRockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardboard, paper products, cartons, and Plastic #6 collected at CHaRM are sent to Smurfit WestRock for recycling into new paper-based packaging products and new plastic products.
• Novus SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectronics processing partner that securely processes electronics and protects customer data. Ensures proper handling of valuable materials and hazardous components.
• SA RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppliance recycling partner that safely dismantles and recycles appliances, ensuring proper handling of refrigerants and metal components.
• Liberty Tire RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTires collected at CHaRM are sent to Liberty Tire Recycling where they are transformed into rubber mulch or processed into liquid material used to fill potholes.
• TrexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStretchy plastic film collected at CHaRM is sent to Trex to be made into composite decking and outdoor furniture.
• KW PlasticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorrugated plastic signs collected at CHaRM are sent to KW Plastics to be recycled into new plastic material.
• Georgia Recycle SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStyrofoam densified on-site is sent to Georgia Recycle Solutions where it is used to create new plastic products such as insulation and building materials.
• Green ZonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsable clothing and shoes collected at CHaRM are distributed through Green Zone for resale and donation to families in need.
• Clean Earth BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGently used books collected at CHaRM are redistributed and resold. Books that cannot be rehomed are responsibly recycled into new paper products.
• Gift of Music FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusical instruments collected at CHaRM are donated to Gift of Music Foundation, cleaned, refurbished, and placed in hands of local children or used in after-school music enrichment programs.
• Atlanta Furniture BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that redistributes furniture and household goods to families in need, helping extend the life of materials collected at CHaRM.
• CompostNowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompost partner with on-site CompostNow bins for compostable materials. Also partner for Compost Kitchen education program at CHaRM DeKalb.
• Recycle for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner helping with material redistribution and reuse initiatives.
• Atlanta ToolbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that redistributes tools to individuals and organizations in need, part of CHaRM's reuse-first philosophy.
• Atlanta HousingstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring a new CHaRM facility to the Bowen Homes redevelopment, including an education center. Featured in Atlanta Business Chronicle coverage.
• Sony Music / OutkastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerElectronics recycling outlet for Stankonia 25 celebration event. 854 pounds of electronics collected in 3 hours.
• Drawdown GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with Drawdown Georgia to create a Recycling Toolkit featured on their website. Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe and Megan Reeves contributed comprehensive recycling information.
• The Recycling PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of the Do You Recycle Challenge (August 2021) that provides multi-family communities tools and guidance for recycling access and education.
• Chick-fil-AmajorOthersCorporate sponsor of Live Thrive. Logo displayed on sponsors page.
• Cox EnterprisesmajorOthersCorporate sponsor of Live Thrive. Logo displayed on sponsors page. Presenting sponsor of 'A CHaRMing Evening with Yacht Rock Revue' fundraiser.
• Delta Air LinesmajorOthersCorporate sponsor of Live Thrive. Logo displayed on sponsors page.
• NovelismajorOthersCorporate sponsor of Live Thrive. Logo displayed on sponsors page.
• State FarmmajorOthersCorporate sponsor of Live Thrive. Recipient of $500,000 State Farm Century of Good Grant. Sponsor of State Farm Learning Garden at CHaRM DeKalb.
• LuluMaminorOthersCorporate sponsor of Live Thrive. Logo displayed on sponsors page.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Recology: Employee-owned waste and recycling company primarily serving the West Coast with collection, recycling, and organics services. Comparable in business model (recycling-focused) but operates in a different geography than Live Thrive.
• GreenWaste Recovery: California-based recycling and waste services company with municipal collection and material recovery facilities. Operates in the same recycling services category but primarily serves Northern California rather than Metro Atlanta.
• Casella Waste Systems: Northeast US-focused waste, recycling, and resource management company. Comparable integrated recycling and waste services, though oriented to larger commercial and municipal contracts rather than household hard-to-recycle drop-offs.

Direct peers

• TerraCycle: For-profit company that collects hard-to-recycle materials through national mail-in and brand-sponsored programs. Operates in the same hard-to-recycle materials category as Live Thrive's CHaRM facilities and shares a focus on materials typically excluded from curbside recycling.
• Call2Recycle: Stewardship program (also nonprofit-affiliated) for battery and electronics recycling with extensive drop-off network. Comparable as a specialized recycling collection organization focused on consumer hard-to-recycle materials.

Broad incumbents

• Republic Services: One of the two largest US waste and recycling haulers, offering recycling, organics, and special waste services nationally. Overlaps with Live Thrive in handling of recyclables but does not focus on the small-batch hard-to-recycle drop-off model.
• Waste Management, Inc. Largest US waste management company with extensive recycling and special waste programs. Relevant as a broad incumbent in the same overall recycling/waste category, though it focuses on large-scale collection rather than community hard-to-recycle drop-offs.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Nonprofit reuse retailer operated by Habitat for Humanity that accepts and resells donated building materials and household goods. Comparable as a reuse-first nonprofit partner and adjacent to Live Thrive's reuse network, though focused on retail resale rather than recycling.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit operating donation-based retail and reuse programs across the US. Adjacent peer sharing a reuse-first nonprofit model, though primarily a textile and household goods reuse operator rather than a hard-to-recycle drop-off.
• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit focused on litter prevention, recycling, and beautification. Thematically aligned with Live Thrive's environmental mission and operates similar grant-funded community programs, though without operating permanent drop-off facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LiveThrive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-thrive-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/livethriveatl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Live Thrive, Inc