Jackson, MS Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Who may collect recyclables
- City-authorized contractor only
- Violation classification
- Misdemeanor, per location
- Covered locations
- Curbside, alley, parkway, drop-off centers
- Governing section
- General Code § 106-39
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 1992-49, 10-20-92
Summary
Jackson makes it a misdemeanor for anyone other than the city's authorized recycling contractor to pick up recyclables left at curbside collection points or the city's recycling drop-off centers, with each unauthorized pickup counted as a separate offense.
(b)Prohibited acts. No person, other than an authorized recycling contractor of the city or authorized employees or agents of the city, shall remove, collect, or pickup or cause to be removed, collected, or picked up any recyclable material that has been placed in a designated recycling collection location as part of a city sponsored recycling program or at a city-designated recycling center.(c)Penalty for violation of section. Any unauthorized removal, collection, or pickup of recyclable materials from one or more designated recycling collection locations shall constitute a separate and distinct offense, punishable as a misdemeanor under this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55).
Full Breakdown
Section 106-39 of the General Code defines the city's recycling framework and then restricts who may touch the material once it is set out. ' The section's definitions clarify the scope: an 'authorized recycling contractor' is a person or firm under contract with the city to collect recyclables, a 'designated recycling collection location' covers any parkway, alley, or curbside spot from which municipal waste is collected as well as any city-authorized recycling center or drop-off point, and 'recyclable materials' includes newspapers, glass, computer paper, mixed office paper, aluminum and other metals, and plastics separated from municipal waste.
The rule targets scavengers who pull recyclables out of bins before the contractor's truck arrives, since those materials carry resale value the city's recycling contract depends on. also folds junk dealers into related enforcement when stolen or diverted recyclable metals are involved.
Violations & Fines
Subsection (c) makes any unauthorized removal, collection or pickup of recyclable materials from a designated collection location a separate and distinct misdemeanor offense under the General Code, meaning a scavenger can be cited once for each bin or drop-off location disturbed rather than a single citywide violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to take recyclables out of someone else's bin in Jackson?
What counts as a designated recycling collection location in Jackson?
What is the penalty for scavenging recyclables in Jackson?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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