A common attitude toward recycling is: “I know that I should recycle, but it seems like a hassle.” Fortunately, this is not so in Jackson. Read on to find out just how easy it is to recycle at home by following three steps.
1. Pick up free recycling bins and instructions downtown. It’s as easy as walking in, picking up your free materials, and walking out. The Solid Waste Division is easy to find on the fifth floor of the Warren Hood Building (200 S. President St., 601-960-1193).
Sign in at the front desk—it’s not an agreement of any kind—and pick up instructions and a free bin or two from the lobby.
2. Take your bins home and fill them with recyclables. There’s no need to sort your recyclables; you can mix them in the bins. Fill the bins with these items:
Plastics #1-7 (see number on bottom of container)
• Grocery and produce bags
• Milk jugs
• Yogurt containers
• Water bottles
• Soda bottles
Paper
• Newspapers
• Phone books
• Magazines
• Copy paper
• Junk mail
• Store receipts
Aluminum and steel
• Soda cans
• Cans of fruit, soup, etc.
You can’t recycle these items in the bins:
• Tetra Brik (plastic-coated cardboard) milk and juice cartons
• Styrofoam
• Light bulbs*
• Glass*
• Electronics*
Recycling Glass
Rainbow Natural Grocery Co-Op has the only glass recycling dropoff in town. (You can drop off aluminum, plastic and paper as well.) Rainbow’s recycling dropoff is located behind the store; enter from Fondren Place between Rainbow and the post office.
Recycling Other Materials*
The City’s Environmental Service Center recycles the following items:
• Most household items marked “hazardous,” “toxic,” “flammable,” etc.
• Paints
• Automotive oils
• Chemicals such as pesticides
• Photographic chemicals
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Personal electronics (computers and accessories, copiers/printers, cell phones)
• Batteries
Drop them off at the Environmental Service Center (1570 Terry Road, 601-960-0000) Tuesdays, Thursdays and every fourth Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Disposing of Bagged Leaves
While the city does not collect regular yard trimmings and compost, it will pick up bagged leaves and tree limbs of a certain measurement on your second collection day. From November to February, it will pick up loose leaves at the curbside.
Tips for No-Hassle Recycling
• Assume that an item is recyclable until proved non-recyclable. Use this attitude at home and in the community, where you can look for recycling bins at restaurants (often blue) to dispose of your trash.
• Keep your bins close for convenience, perhaps in your kitchen or garage.
• Use a separate receptacle for glass, and empty it at Rainbow regularly.
• For more information, visit http://www.jacksonms.gov/government/publicworks/solidwaste.
3. Put your bin on the curb for pickup. The city of Jackson picks up recycling every other week on your second collection day, along with your regular trash. Put your recycling bins on the curb the night before.
You can also drop off your recycling at Recycling Services (3010 N. West St.) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Previous Comments
Thank you so much for this article, JFP!
#146092 | Author: Brent Cox | Date: Apr 20 2009
Thanks to a tip from Donna, I’ve been taking my recycling to Rainbow for several months. My family has caught on, and they fill the recycling box up quickly. I could use a couple more bins, and I’m glad to know where the CFL bulbs should go. They contain mercury, so you have to be careful.
#146097 | Author: LatashaWillis | Date: Apr 21 2009
The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.