A new recycling initiative is getting underway in hopes of keeping cardboard out of the landfill thanks to the efforts of The HON Company.

The new recycling area was inspired by the efforts of the company to recycle upward of 91% of their waste generated within the office furniture builder. They are now making a cardboard and paper recycling area available for the public to bring their items as well to comingle with HON’s own waste.

The new station for the pubic to use is located at the 9th Street entrance of the plant in the Westside Industrial Park.

The HON Company, which first opened its plant in 1969, has been a cornerstone industrial partner with a variety of nonprofits, the City of Cedartown and even the Polk School District. The company is based in Muscatine, Iowa.

City and county officials out the new recycling area in recent days.

Here’s a full release posted by the City of Cedartown:

Just in time for all of those holiday season Amazon boxes!!! Don’t toss them in the trash, take them to the new HON recycling area.

Inspired by the success of their in-house recycling efforts, team members at Cedartown’s HON Company are now giving local residents a chance to reduce the amount of household trash that ends up in the landfill. A recycling station that has already been in use for several weeks by HON and its members is now open to the general public.

One thing that stands out about this recycling area is that it was created with “up-cycled” items that came out of the furniture manufacturing plant. The structure itself and the collection baskets were repurposed to create the covered recycling area. Signage for the recycling area was the only cost, and it was nominal, said HON member Joey Brock.

Currently, the Cedartown HON plant already recycles 91 percent of their internal waste.

“Our goal is to get to 95 percent minimal on waste,” Brock explains. “We can do it. We’re almost there. It’s just taking into consideration all of the little things that can add up.”

Brock is eager to see the community embrace the recycling area, and that positivity is shared by other HON team members as well, including Sam Giles, Lee Williams and Billie Barnette.

They recently met with Cedartown City Manager Edward Guzman and City Commission Chairman Andrew Carter, along with County Manager Matt Denton and Assistant County Manager Connor Hooper. The group spent some time learning about HON’s recycling procedures and checking out the recycling area.

“We’re inviting anyone, businesses as well, to bring their cardboard waste and paper scraps. We will bundle it and get it recycled. It’s a great way to keep things out of the landfill,” explained Williams. “We want to see this take off.”

He said that right now, money earned from the recycling effort goes back to HON members in the form of appreciation lunches and things of that nature. “

It’s a small amount of money we’re getting back right now. As this grows and others start bringing their items, we want to start making donations to local charities and organizations,” Williams said. “It’s keeping recyclable items out of our landfill and it will help these organizations that are helping others.”

The recycling area is accessible to the public anytime during the day and evening. It is located on the N. 9th Street entrance. Current items accepted are cardboard and paper.