FAYETTEVILLE -- About 40 residents got their chance Monday to talk about an ambitious goal of increasing municipal recycling from the current 20 percent to 80 percent.
The public input session at Woodland Junior High School was an opportunity to hear about a trash reduction, diversion and recycling plan being developed by the city and to comment on the plan.
There was a broad cross section of interests represented at the session, from residents who just want easier ways to recycle to business owners and apartment dwellers who want to see services expanded and simplified.
Michelle and Eric Cloud are apartment dwellers and want more and better recycling programs for multi-family residential complexes.
"I feel that would be a kind of low-hanging fruit -- apartment dwellers," Michelle Cloud said. "I just loved the meeting. I think they all had such good ideas."
Yvonne and Gerry Segal were interested in programs that may reduce the use of plastic bags, for example.
"We have a couple of businesses in town and we mandate recycling," Yvonne Segal said.
Dana Smith, sustainability coordinator for Fayetteville Public Schools, said she has a direct interest in what the city does because she runs the recycling program for the school system.
"I was just curious to hear where the city was with the process," Smith said, "I was looking for an update. I was interested to hear the public comments as well and what they feel is most relevant."
Mayor Lioneld Jordan said the plan is to lessen residents' dependence on landfills and the associated costs.
"Tonight you all are making history," Jordan told the group. "Fayetteville has always been on the cutting edge of waste diversion. We want to divert more waste and encourage more recycling and composting."
Kessler Consulting of Tampa, Fla., has been working on the plan for more than four months. The plan should be complete this fall.
Mitch Kessler provided an assessment of the current trash and recycling operations.
The plan will identify what it would take to divert 80 percent of the city's trash from the Eco-Vista Landfill in Tontitown over a 10-year period and how much that would cost.
The plan could identify new programs for organic food waste and construction and demolition materials as well as more recycling options for apartment dwellers and, potentially, a "single-stream" recycling system in which recyclable materials would be sorted at a central materials recovery facility rather than at the curb. It will also look at regional approaches and partnerships.
City officials are encouraging residents and businesses to provide input by completing an online survey form at recyclesomething.org.
NW News on 04/07/2015