Keeping things out of the trash is the main goal of Zero Waste JXN, a small recycling, repurposing, and composting cooperative in Jackson, Mississippi – a town with a deep history of racial segregation. Founded by a local couple in 2024, the organization implements several initiatives to promote waste diversion. These initiatives include composting, recycling, community cleanups in collaboration with neighborhood associations, and repurposing of well-maintained discarded materials for redistribution in free markets. Through these efforts, they aim to reduce landfill waste and environmental degradation, particularly in the underserved areas of south and west Jackson, where the population is predominantly Black and faces a poverty rate of roughly 35%. By fostering a clean community and discovering new uses for what would otherwise be wasted, Zero Waste JXN benefits both the Earth and the residents of Jackson, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable economy and environment.
A recycling station was installed at Ida B. Wells Plaza in Jackson by Keep Jackson Beautiful in partnership with Zero Waste. Photo: Zero Waste JXN
Zero Waste JXN is a small, emerging cooperative seeded through Cooperation Jackson, a network of worker cooperatives that addresses the needs of low-income, unemployed Black and Latino residents. This partnership provides Zero Waste access to a storage facility for holding donations of gently used items for the free markets they host every other month. The cooperative also prepares buckets filled with compost and seedlings for home gardening, which Cooperation Jackson sells to enhance soil health and support local food sovereignty. Additionally, Zero Waste chips wood from fallen trees and collects waste for recycling, having repurposed approximately 2,250 pounds of organic waste, 2,000 pounds of yard debris, 1,971 pounds of plastics and cardboard, and 1,000 pounds of glass. In the future, the organization plans to introduce a paid service to collect recyclable waste from residents’ homes. Through their work, Zero Waste advocates for a healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable community.
Zero Waste promotes neighborhood clean-ups, collecting garbage from abandoned lots. Photo: PickPik