First waste convenience center opens in Macon-Bibb County
If you're a Macon-Bibb resident, getting rid of items that take up space in our homes can be a challenge. Unfortunately, sometimes that challenge turns into illegal dumping, which Mayor Lester Miller says is the last thing the county wants. That's where the new 11th Street Convenience Center comes into play.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — It’s now been more than a year since Macon-Bibb county started the Clean Streets Matter Initiative.
If you’re a Macon-Bibb resident, getting rid of items that take up space in our homes can be a challenge. Unfortunately, sometimes that challenge turns into illegal dumping, which Mayor Lester Miller says is the last thing the county wants.
That’s where the new 11th Street Convenience Center comes into play.
“This is one tool we’re going to have to stop illegal dumping in our community,” Mayor Miller said. “To get people an option to come and drop items off, to make sure we keep stuff off the side of the road and keep our communities safe and clean.”
Maurice Jackson, Solid Waste Manager for Macon-Bibb County, says the convenience center’s opening has been a long time coming. He says it helps their department when residents bring their items to the center instead of dumping them on the road.
“We want to make it convenient for you to bring all that material that used to be dumped on the side of the road,” he said. “Bring it to our center, dump it here in a controlled environment so that way we can dispose of it in a proper manner.
Caroline Childs, Executive Director for Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful, announced the community has collected 20 million pounds of trash, litter and debris off the streets since the initiative began. Mayor Miller says they’re not done yet with community cleanups.
“We’re going to have at least three or four this year,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do that until we completely clean our streets.”
Jackson says you can bring building materials, furniture, sinks, old metals, concrete, residential tires, batteries and more. He welcomes residents to the new facility.
“We listened to you,” he said. “We heard your voice, so we made this facility based off your feedback and the things that you desired, so please come on down and utilize our facility.”
According to Mayor Miller, the convenience centers are supposed to be truly convenient for everyone. That means they’re open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. He says there are two more convenience centers in the works right now and the plan is to eventually add more convenience centers throughout the county.
