According to Kevin Barkley, the director of Macon-Bibb’s solid waste department, only 2,000 homes in North and East Macon have curbside recycling options.
He says a lot of reusable materials end up here in the Macon-Bibb landfill when they could be recycled.
“Georgia has some of the best recycling markets in the whole country, but yet we still throw the material into a landfill,” said Barkley.
He says materials like cardboard and plastic are being imported into the state for companies to use.
But those materials could come straight from the state, which is better for Georgia’s economy.
“All these people need these materials that we’re throwing away,” he explained, “We put over 50,000 tons in our landfill last year and the majority of that could easily be recycled or re-used right here in the state of Georgia.”