FAYETTEVILLE — About 20 people shared ideas on growing the city’s recycling program during a public meeting Wednesday at the Public Library.
Their comments could become part of a long-range plan that will be presented to the City Council in December by the city’s Sustainability and Strategic Planning Department.
The plan will set goals for diverting more waste from the Eco-Vista Landfill in Tontitown and determine how much it will cost to reach those goals.
John Coleman, sustainability director, estimated 14 percent of waste generated in Fayetteville is diverted from the landfill. That’s compared with roughly 33 percent nationwide, he said.
Two areas likely to be targeted in the city’s plan are apartment complexes and small businesses.
Coleman said fewer than 200 businesses out of about 3,000 participate in the city’s curbside pickup program available since 2008.
Recycling pickup is not available for most apartment dwellers.
According to census data, nearly 60 percent of housing in Fayetteville is renter-occupied. That’s compared with 33 percent statewide.
Curbside pickup is available to people renting homes or duplexes, but the only option for most apartment dwellers is to take recyclable material to the city’s drop-off site at 1420 S. Happy Hollow Road.
Brian Pugh, city waste reduction coordinator, said apartment pickup has been difficult because of limited space for large receptacles and increased costs associated with providing bins to tenants.
As a self-contained enterprise fund, the city’s Solid Waste and Recycling division must make up all costs it incurs.
Midway through 2011, the recycling program has brought in $396,068, according to city data. The program has cost $966,900, however. The difference is subsidized through fees for standard trash collection.
While recycling may never be a money-making venture, Pugh acknowledged the gap between revenue and expenses can be narrowed through greater participation.
The city will begin a pilot program next month for several apartments using a $23,500 grant from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
The grant is paying for a large receptacle that will be moved on a daily basis between participating apartments.
It will help officials analyze how many tenants might participate in an expanded program, and it wouldn’t require purchasing more city vehicles, Pugh said.
Stephan Pollard, who manages Maple Street Apartments, one of the only complexes that receives curbside pickup, said he has learned recycling, for his tenants, is all about convenience.
“It’s a matter of motivating people to participate,” Pollard said.
Louise Mann, a longtime recycling advocate, said the key is informing people of the environmental benefits of recycling.
“We’re not going to save this planet by convenience folks,” Mann said. “We’re going to save this planet by commitment, and that commitment only comes from education.”