A perfect storm of problems has hit the Macon-Bibb landfills, but plans are underway to attack those issues, according to county leaders.
The closure of two landfills could cost the county upward of $11 million, so efforts to increase recycling has become more paramount in Macon-Bibb.
The county needs more residents recycling in order to delay the closing of the main landfill, Macon-Bibb spokesman Chris Floore said Monday.
“We want to go with countywide recycling and for everyone to have the same (solid waste) services,” he said.
The county wants to expand recycling opportunities inside the former Macon city limits, where just 2,000 households now have access to single-stream recycling, Solid Waste Director Kevin Barkley said.
“What we want to do is eventually have some sort of recycling center, a compost site to reuse the material,” he said.
Recycling would alleviate the amount of waste at the main landfill on Walker Road, which had a 20 percent increase in tons of waste being added into it between the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years. That landfill is now on track to be closed in slightly under four years and with a likely cost of at least $10 million, county officials said.