Montevallo will celebrate Earth Day by opening a permanent, one-stop recycling center at a former Alabama Power crew headquarters.

The facility will open at 10 a.m. April 22 at the former Alabama Power facility on Spring Creek Road, and will be the first of its kind in Shelby County.

Once open, the facility will provide a place for residents in Shelby County and its surrounding counties to drop off recycling of all types.

Montevallo city employees will operate the center, which is a joint venture by Alabama Power, LaFarge, Waste Pro, the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the University of Montevallo and public schools in Montevallo.

City schools will be able to use the center to teach students about the importance of recycling and environmental stewardship, said Montevallo Mayor Ben McCrory.

“There is so much excitement surrounding this center,” McCrory wrote in a press release. “This will expand the current recycling program at the University of Montevallo, and encourage more participation among area residents and businesses.”

For more information about the recycling center, call Montevallo City Hall at 665-2555.