MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County celebrated a milestone last week with its new trash convenience center: it collected 51.6 tons of waste in about three weeks.
That's about the weight of 6.5 school buses, 10 elephants, a quarter of a blue whale, or four garbage trucks worth of trash.
The center opened on March 10 as a way for the county to fight back against illegal dumping. The process to use the center, which is at the old landfill, is simple...
First, they'll need to check your ID. You need to live in Macon-Bibb County to use the center, which is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
According to a worker at the center, out of state college students and other people who live in Bibb County temporarily might also be in luck. It's on a case-by-case basis. For example, a Mercer student may be able to show their student ID, he said.
Once you're approved to use the center, they'll direct you to the right dumpster. You can bring household trash, furniture, yard debris, tires and some building materials. You can even bring paint.
That's what brought Michael Lemon all the way from west Bibb County.
"It was tough to always use the landfill," Lemon said. "At a time when it was convenient, it wasn't always open, so this is great that it's open seven days a week."
Lemon thinks having another center closer to him would be nice, but he said it was worth the drive.
"It'd be nice to have something, but even if this is the only one, that'd be great," Lemon said.
A worker at the center says the busier days are usually Mondays and Fridays. He recommends coming on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday instead. That's when business is a little slower.
The center does not take commercial waste or roofing materials. For that, they'd send you to the Mead Road Transfer Station.
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