JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – On America Recycles Day, Keep Jackson Beautiful is seeing so much interest in recycling that one location is getting an upgrade.

Participating in recycling makes a big difference in West Jackson. The Jackson Zoo is such a popular recycling site that Niagra Bottling built a permanent structure to house all the collectibles.

“I love that,” Sheka Epps said. “I was walking in the park when they brought him.”

The West Jackson owner has been recycling at the zoo for nine years and said previous bins have encouraged residents to participate, reducing trash along Capitol Street.

“When they brought in the larger container, we knew it was going to be great because we were really using the smaller containers that it overfilled. So this larger container, I’m glad it’s here,” Epps said.

On Friday, Keep Jackson Beautiful held a ribbon cutting that welcomed the public to use the 8-by-20-foot metal bin. It holds up to 20,000 plastic bottles and replaces two super-bags that held 100 kilograms of recycling. Niagra Bottling paid for the recycling center built in Mississippi.

“I didn’t know that all of you residents were going to do such an amazing job that you literally overwhelmed what we thought was a viable solution at the time and that’s what got us to this point,” said Dereith L. Sutton, Vice President of Economic Development and Community Relations with Niagra Bottling.

The Zoo Center accepts number one and number two plastic recyclables. You are asked to scan the QR code, enter your zip code and then you are given a code that opens the bin. KJB uses the data to determine where residents are located.

“Most of them call us and say we don’t want to throw this in the landfill,” said Alicia Crudup, executive director of Keep Jackson Beautiful. “We want to recycle. Where is another recycling site? Where is another recycling site? It shows us that they want to recycle.”

Another metal bin will soon be in place at Smith Wills Stadium. Officials are looking in South Jackson for a recycling site there.

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