ARNALL GOLDEN & GREGORY, LLP
                            2800 One Atlantic Center
                        1201 West Peachtree Street, N.W.
                           Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3450


                                                                 (404) 873-8500

                                                                 (404) 873-8501



                                  June 23, 1999



Isolyser Company, Inc.
4320 International Boulevard, NW
Norcross, Georgia   30093

         RE:      Registration Statement on Form S-8

Gentlemen:

         We have acted as your  counsel  in the  preparation  of a  Registration
Statement  on Form  S-8  (the  "Registration  Statement")  filed by you with the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission  covering  700,000 shares (the "Shares") of
common stock,  $.001 par value, which may be issued by the Company in accordance
with options granted under your 1999 Employee Stock Purchase (the "ESPP").

         In so acting, we have examined and relied upon such records,  documents
and other  instruments  as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate in order
to express the opinion hereinafter set forth and have assumed the genuineness of
all signatures,  the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals,
and the  conformity to original  documents of all  documents  submitted to us as
certified or photostatic copies.

         Based on the  foregoing,  we are of the opinion  that the Shares,  when
issued  and  delivered  in  the  manner  and  on  the  terms  described  in  the
Registration  Statement  (after it is declared  effective) and the ESPP, will be
duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby  consent  to the use of this  opinion  as an  exhibit  to the
Registration  Statement.  In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we
come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of
the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended,  or the general rules and  regulations
thereunder.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          ARNALL GOLDEN & GREGORY, LLP


                                          /s/ARNALL GOLDEN & GREGORY, LLP