Leave No Waste - University of Arkansas

Geographical Area to Benefit from the Project:

The area to be benefited by the proposed project would include Washington County and Benton County, and the Cities of Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville.

Type of Project:

Waste reduction and recycling enhancement.

Project Description:

Leave No Waste ("LNW") is a project proposed by the University of Arkansas Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness to generate highly useful information regarding recyclables in the burgeoning apartment complexes of Northwest Arkansas. LNW has a three-pronged approach to studying recyclables: (1) the completion of an audit of the weight and volume to food scraps and recyclable but discarded commodities; (2) an assessment of complex-dwellers' attitudes toward waste reduction and recycling programs; and, (3) development of baseline data that can assist in the implementation, development, and assessment of recycling collection programs for apartment complexes.

While recycling efforts have made progress with single-family residential dwellers, businesses, and industries, few efforts have been made to study and encourage recycling by those who live in multi-family dwellings, such as apartment complexes. With the growing number of complex-dwellers, it is important that this gap in recycling is addressed. LNW would help provide good information about multi-family dwelling wastes and collection models targeting these wastes. This data could then be used to establish and expand recycling projects in the growing Northwest Arkansas apartment community.

Expected Environmental Benefits:

The environmental benefit of this project will be the enhancement of the integrated solid waste management system of the District.