Fayetteville Expands Food Waste Pickup Program After Successful Collection of 10½ Tons—What This Means for Residents!

Fayetteville is making strides in its food waste management efforts. After successfully collecting 11½ tons of food waste during a trial run, the city has decided to extend its curbside collection program for residents.

This initiative, managed in collaboration with Ozark Compost and Swap, allows single-family homes in Fayetteville to participate. From January through July, about 23,000 pounds of food waste were collected from 500 homes. This waste is transformed into nutrient-rich compost, available for purchase by residents.

The program offers participants a handy 5-gallon collection bucket, with one free pickup every two weeks. After each collection, a clean bucket is returned, making the process seamless for homeowners.

When food scraps and yard waste break down in a landfill, they produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The Eco-Vista Landfill in Northwest Arkansas is the only public landfill in the area and is facing capacity issues. Recent expansions have extended its life by about 10 to 15 years, making waste diversion crucial.

Composting plays a vital role in Fayetteville’s aim to keep at least 40% of waste out of the landfill. Notably, food scraps account for nearly 20% of the city’s trash. As Environmental Director Peter Nierengarten points out, sending food waste to the landfill is harmful to the environment.

Experts like Tina Flakowitz, operations manager at Ozark Compost, emphasize that providing more waste diversion options leads to better community results. She mentioned the landfill’s capacity limits highlight the need for programs like this.

Currently, only single-family homes can join, but the pilot’s success could pave the way for expansion. In addition, Fayetteville has enhanced its food waste drop-off program, adding three new collection sites, bringing the total to eight locations available 24/7.

For more details, you can visit the Fayetteville food waste collection page or find information on the drop-off program here.

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