Jackson water crisis leads to empty water bottles everywhere. Where to go for recycling

Lici Beveridge, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read

Millions of bottles of water have filtered into Jackson over the six weeks of the city's most recent water crisis, leaving some residents asking what to do with the empties.

Keep Jackson Beautiful has teamed up with the city and Jackson Public School District to offer drop off sites at several water pickup locations to make it easier for residents to return the used bottles, said Keelan Sanders, executive director of Keep Jackson Beautiful.

"Unfortunately with plastic, it does not break down, so we definitely don't want all those millions of bottles going to the landfill," Sanders said in an earlier story.

The city has been under a state-issued boil-water notice since July 29. State and federal officials have stepped in to help fix the city's many water and sewer problems.

Drowning in plastic: Jackson's water crisis has environmental impact, solutions sought

There are several locations in Jackson already collecting the empties, primarily at the major water distribution sites, he said. In addition, there will be other dropoff sites available next week. To find a dropoff site, Sanders said, residents can download the Replenysh app and use its location-based service.

Environmentality Recycling Solutions and Allen's Recycling are among the few private companies that pick up recyclables. Tri-Miss Recycling has dropoff points for its customers but does not offer curbside pickup, nor does it accept plastics.

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For those looking for a short-term solution, the following is a list of dropoff sites in Jackson. Before dropping off bottles, make sure they are clear of debris and compacted. Caps can be recycled but must be on the bottles.

Dropoff sites in Jackson

  • Mississippi Urban League, 2548 Livingston Road

  • Metrocenter Mall, 3645 U.S. 80

  • Mississippi State Fairgrounds, 1207 Mississippi St.

  • Oak Forest Community Center, 2827 Oak Forest Drive

  • Smith-Wills Stadium, 1200 Lakeland Drive

  • Sykes Community Center, 520 Sykes Road

  • The City Plaza, 2460 Terry Road

  • Other sites will be added in the coming weeks, check the Replenysh app for an updated list.

August 2019:Jackson ended curbside recycling. Here's why and a look at some alternatives.

Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS offers plastic recycling locations amid water crisis