Dec. 20, 2021
Contact: Heather Ellzey
Environmental Educator
Recycling & Trash Collection Division
479-718-7687
hellzey@fayetteville-ar.gov
Recycling and Trash Collection 2021 Winter Holiday Schedule and More
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — City offices will be closed Thursday, Dec. 23, Friday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 31, for the holidays. Residential recycling, trash and yard waste collection routes will not be affected by the holidays. Commercial collections scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 25, will be rerouted to the following week. The transfer station and compost site will be closed on Saturday, Dec. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022. The Compost Site, Household Hazardous Waste Trailer and Transfer Station will also be closed on Thursday, Dec. 23.
Recycling and Extra Holiday Trash: Managing extra holiday trash without being charged can be a challenge since the City operates a Pay-As-You-Throw trash program. Recycling as much as possible helps keep costs and trash volumes low. To learn what is recyclable in Fayetteville, go to http://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/1986/What-Can-I-Recycle.
Each year, customers with curbside service receive four extra bag pick-ups to use throughout the year. Once these have been used, households will be charged $7.20 for each additional bag pick-up. Carts with an open lid where extra trash is sticking out counts as an extra bag and will incur a charge for each occurrence. Two recycling bins are available for each curbside customer at no charge. Please contact the Recycling and Trash Collection office at 479-575-8398 if you’d like to replace a bin or purchase an additional one for a fee. Please do not place decorated gift wrap, ribbons, plastic bags, aluminum foil or baking tins in recycling bins.
Recycling is a great place to start, but what if we could produce less waste altogether? The following are a few favorite low- and zero-waste holiday tips and tricks.
Christmas Tree Composting: Christmas trees will be picked up on the same day as your recycling and trash collection through January 2022. Please allow ample space around the trash cart and recycling bin for ease of collection. No artificial trees will be collected for composting. Residents also can bring trees to the City’s composting facility (1708 S. Armstrong Ave.) free of charge during normal operating hours. Hours of operation are Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Compost site will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 1. All trees must be free from all plastic bags, stands, decorations, lights and tinsel before they will be collected/dropped off.
Holiday Food Waste Composting: Food waste can be collected and composted year-round through the City’s Food Waste Compost program. Residents are encouraged to collect their food waste and bring it to one of the City’s five food waste drop-off locations. For the list of Fayetteville’s food waste drop-off locations, in addition to the Marion Orton and Happy Hollow Recycling Centers, visit http://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/foodwaste.
Wrapping Paper: The City’s recycling markets will not accept wrapping paper contaminated with tape, glitter, etc. Please only recycle clean paper – free from any type of contamination.
Light Strand Recycling: The City of Fayetteville will accept light strands for recycling at the Marion Orton Recycling Center (735 W. North St.) through the month of January.
Electronics Recycling: The Boston Mountain Solid Waste District will be recycling electronics for free from Dec. 27 through Jan. 8. Acceptable electronics include: computers, printers, copier, phone, stereos, televisions, fax machines, cables, shredders, microwaves, DVD and VCR players, video game consoles, satellite receivers and handheld devices.
Electronics can be dropped off at the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District facility (11398 Bond Rd. in Prairie Grove). This facility is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Cardboard Recycling: Boxes must be broken down and should be placed under your curbside recycling bins. Pizza boxes are acceptable without crusts and other non-cardboard contents.
Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW): Household Hazardous Waste can be brought to the HHW trailer each Thursday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. For a complete list of items accepted at the HHW trailer, go to https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/748/Hazardous-Materials-Tires-Electronics. The trailer will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 23.
Holiday Waste Reduction Tips:
- Save money and create less waste by using rechargeable batteries for your new gifts. Please dispose of batteries properly at the HHW trailer each Thursday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Be creative with “no wrap” options. Hide that large, unwieldy gift somewhere in the house or yard. Give the recipient a card with a series of clues leading to the present.
- Wrap gifts in materials that can be reused, such as baskets, tins, scarves and handkerchiefs. Gift bags are an attractive, reusable alternative to wrapping paper.
- Newspaper comics, magazines, old posters, maps and blueprints make unique gift wrap – and they’re recyclable!
- If you purchase gift wrap, look for paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content.
- Unwrap gifts carefully. Dedicate a collection area for gift wrap, trim and boxes to be reused next year.
- Instead of Styrofoam packing peanuts and bubble wrap, cushion gifts with recyclable newspaper or plastic grocery bags, unbuttered popcorn or corn-based packing peanuts that disintegrate in water.
- Avoid single use disposables! Serve your holiday guests with reusable plates, cups and utensils. Less waste goes to landfills, and real dishes add a special touch to holiday get-togethers.
- Save and reuse packing peanuts that you receive for future mailings you may have.
- Avoid the holiday mail bottleneck by sending an electronic greeting card via email. There is a wide selection of colorful and/or animated cards to fit all occasions. Cut up and use last year’s holiday cards as this year’s gift tags.
- Gifts such as donations to organizations on behalf of someone are especially meaningful.
- Collect and recycle your plastic bags at local retailers that offer bag recycling at their store entrance.
Transfer Station Price Increase: Beginning Jan. 3, 2022, there will be an increase to the fees for using the City’s Transfer station. As of Jan. 3, the price for Fayetteville residents will be $57 per ton and $70.50 for non-resident customers. Hours of operation for the Transfer Station are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. The transfer Station will be closed to the public Dec. 23, 24 and 25, as well as Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Annual holiday schedules can be viewed at www.fayetteville-ar.gov/holidayschedule. For more information, please contact the Recycling and Trash Collection Office at 479-575-8398 or visit www.fayetteville-ar.gov/recycle.
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