FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2020
Contact: Brian Pugh
Waste Reduction Coordinator
Recycling and Trash Collection
479-718-7685
bpugh@fayetteville-ar.gov
City Announces Suspension of Curbside Recycling in response to COVID-19
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The City of Fayetteville’s Recycling and Trash Collection Division is announcing the suspension of Fayetteville’s curbside recycling program to help limit community spread of COVID-19. This suspension begins Monday, March 23, and will remain in place until further notice. All residential yard waste compost collection and residential/small commercial trash collection services will remain unchanged at this time.
Because the curbside recycling program requires hand sorting of recyclables in each green 18-gallon recycling bin and there are many unknowns about how long the COVID-19 virus remains viable on surfaces, this service is being suspended to limit city workers’ potential exposure to the virus and to reduce chances of community spread. The newly initiated small apartment recycling programs using green 18-gallon bins with black domed lids will also be suspended during this time frame. Recycling bins at these locations will be picked up and removed to avoid trash accumulating on site during the suspension period.
Fayetteville has very aggressive goals to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill, and suspension of curbside recycling collection runs counter to those goals. The City will expand drop-off services for recyclable materials during the curbside service suspension. A list of materials collected in our city’s recycling program can be found here: http://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/1986/What-Can-I-Recycle.
The drop-off sites, which will be available 24 hours a day beginning Monday, March 23, include:
Happy Hollow Recycling Drop-Off, located at 1420 S. Happy Hollow Road
Marion Orton Recycling Drop-Off, located at 735 W. North Street (now open 24 hours per day)
Boys and Girls Club, located at 560 N. Rupple Road (source separated containers)
Lokomotion Family Fun Park, located at 4520 N. College Ave. (source separated containers)
Gary Hampton Field, located at 2790 N. Salem Road (source separated containers)
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, located at 2925 Old Missouri Road (source separated containers)
During this suspension period, we remind residents and businesses to place only recyclable materials in the bins, and to place recyclables in the proper collection containers as identified by type of material. Proper sorting on the front end is crucial in keeping recycling loads free from contamination so they will not be rejected by recycling mills.
Recycling attendants normally available at the two main drop-off facilities will be practicing social distancing as recommended by the CDC and will not be helping with materials as was normal practice before.
During this suspension of curbside recycling service, the extra bag charges for the Pay-As-You-Throw residential trash cart program will be waived due to the anticipated volumes of materials residents will be discarding in these carts.
Collection of automated recycling services will continue and will not be affected. This includes commercial cardboard dumpsters, commercial paper dumpsters, glass carts and food waste carts. The $5.00 charged to businesses that currently participate in the curbside recycling collection in the 18-gallon bins with black domed lids will be waived until the service is reinstated.
While we understand that the suspension of the curbside recycling program will alter residential and business efforts to help the city reduce waste going to the landfill, we must implement every action practical to limit community spread and protect city workers from COVID-19. We appreciate the community’s understanding of these measures during this critical time.
For more information about the City of Fayetteville’s recycling program, visit www.recyclesomething.org.
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