Fayetteville, AR to Test Out Curbside Food Waste Program

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Creating an example for municipal recycling statewide, the City of Fayetteville is testing out a new program with its residents for the first half of 2025. The Curbside Food Waste Collection Pilot Program will help determine the demand for a curbside food waste collection program in Fayetteville. Fayetteville is collaborating with Ozark Compost and Swap (OCS), which is managing program operations. According to the city, food waste collected by OCS will be taken to the city’s Recycling and Trash Division where it will be processed into usable compost for sale to Fayetteville residents.

For eight years, the city has offered food waste programs for commercial and drop-off collection which Waste Reduction Manager Brian Pugh said had been very successful. “This is the next level that will allow more convenience for people to divert their food waste from the landfill,” Pugh said.

According to the national nonprofit ReFED, of the 237 million tons of food in 2023, the U.S. saw 80 million tons go to waste destinations. “We have a very aggressive goal of 40% diversion from landfill,” Pugh said. “We feel like it’s very important to keep that food waste out of the landfill. There’s a lot of issues with methane, methane gasses, and stuff being released from the landfill when you have organic material in the landfill.”

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com