Max Boortz isn’t just thinking about profits in his business.

He’s also thinking about the environment.

Boortz, owner of Gramma Bea’s, 323 E. Grand River Ave., said he packs his car up with the cardboard, aluminum cans and the plastic and glass bottles from his restaurant a couple times per week and takes them to a drop-off site near Beaner’s Gourmet Coffee, 270 W. Grand River Ave., to be recycled.

“(Businesses) are such massive producers of waste I think it is a big community awareness issue,” he said.

Boortz said many times, if things are slow at his business, he will have employees break down boxes.

He said there really isn’t a major cost to keep a business from recycling.

“The biggest cost is driving the stuff over and dropping it off where it is supposed to be,” he said.

But the driving may come to an end for Boortz. He said during a monthly meeting of local merchants, installing a new cardboard dump site was discussed.

Dave Smith, environmental specialist for the city, said the idea of a new bin has been thought of by the city, but space has been a problem.

He said there are no locations available now, but local businesses could have a bin placed on their private property.

“Some of the businesses that are close to our bin at Valley Court (Park) use that,” Smith said. “But we have always talked about having one in the downtown.”

Smith said at one time businesses could place cardboard behind their buildings for the city to pick up for recycling, but the fire department stopped it, saying it was a fire hazard.

“We have kicked around some ideas, but at this point we haven’t had any solid ideas,” he said.

But Smith said if the new recycling area is added he thinks many businesses would make use of it.

“I will usually get some employees new to these stores and these people typically see a lot of tin cans and cardboard and they take it upon themselves to do it,” he said. “But quite often there are some business owners that contact me also.”

Tyler Riggs, manager of Beaner’s Gourmet Coffee, said the business uses a bin near the restaurant to recycle much of its glass, cardboard, paper and plastic.

“Multiple recycling sites are more convenient, I think it is a great idea,” he said. “With more of them, more businesses would do it.”

Rich Streight, general manager for Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave., said the business also recycles cardboard.

“The plastic bottles and glass bottles don’t go down there mostly because of a space issue, but if it was closer, yeah we would (recycle them),” he said.