If you looked in Evan Koplin’s recycling bin, you might be surprised. You’d find the typical newspapers and milk jugs, but you’d also find packaging from soapboxes, make-up, and white paper products. “Not everyone thinks these things can be recycled, but they can,” says Evan Koplin, the general manager of Macon Iron and Paper Stock.

            Macon Iron is a 90-year-old industrial recycling manufacturer that encourages Central Georgia to think beyond soda cans when it comes to recycling. “Recycling is not that complicated,” says Koplin. “Landfills have a limited life, and the tons that go to the landfill space will continue to grow unless we do something about our waste.”

Landfill usage is a growing problem for local governments. To offset the rising cost of trash collection and, in turn, increase recycling, some municipalities have even established a “pay-as-you-throw” program. In these communities, households are charged for their trash based on the amount they throw away. Others have a weight-based system that charges a citizen for the amount of waste he or she discards monthly. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, such programs create a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste.

Recycling has become a priority for many cities. Macon, for example, had a full recycling program when, unfortunately, tough economic times, pushed Macon, like many cities, to cut costs. “For many, municipalities, curbside-recycling programs have seen the trash bin, so to speak,” says Koplin.

When the need arose for someone to step up to the curb, Macon Iron partnered with the city of Macon to collect recyclables. When the pilot program first began, the city was colleting your typical recyclables—aluminum, paper, plastics—but sorting recyclables at the curb is labor intensive and expensive. While they had more households participating than they expected, their curbside program received small amounts of recyclables. Ultimately, the program ended in late summer 2009, and the city has transitioned to a paper-only program with Macon Iron receiving all the paper they collect.

Even with a paper-only program, the average household receives nearly 20 pounds of recyclable paper each week. “If you collected all the paper Macon households received each week then multiplied that by 20, you’d get 360 tons of paper a month. That’s huge,” says Koplin.

Most recycling centers need around 200–300 tons of paper every few weeks to be financially viable. Macon Iron gets an average of two–three tons of paper every couple of weeks. This may be small in Koplin’s eyes, but to an outsider, three tons is no laughing matter.

 “It’s important for people to realize that there is no question of a need to recycle, rather, the question is what is the cost and what is most efficient,” says Koplin.

While municipalities like Macon have cut back their recycling efforts, Macon Iron has a full-scale recycling program and can recycle anything.

For those looking to recycle, Macon Iron will take whatever it is. Throughout the day, trucks drop off discarded dishwashers, metal scraps, and other plastic objects and in return, get paid for the recyclable material.

“We find that public participation is the best way to get the community involved,” says Koplin.

Even at a glance, Macon Iron’s full operation is striking. Located on 30 acres in Macon’s downtown industrial area, sections of the yard are dedicated to specific types of scrap materials: from shavings of railroad wheels to cars, scrap metal comes from just about anything.

For those of us who don’t have scrap metal sitting around, recycling paper is easy. The city of Macon provides each household with a blue recycling bin. If a household does not have a bin, or doesn’t know when their recyclables are picked up, they can call Macon’s Public Works program at 478-751-7959 and find out the specific day.

            Macon Iron has special regulations for paper recycling, but basically, if the paper started out white, then it’s recyclable. This includes newspapers, slick magazine paper, makeup boxes, and anything that is on a typical office desk. Cardboard and cereal boxes did not start out white, so don’t put them in the bins. For more information, call Macon Iron at 478-745-9801.

            Other Central Georgia communities have a variety of recycling programs. Bibb County collects curbside each week. Houston County collects every other week. While Monroe and Jones County each have drop-off points. Wherever you reside, Macon Iron is working to educate Central Georgia to make some changes so the next generation will have the future it deserves.