A recent partnership between the Springdale Benevolent Foundation and NWA Recycles led to more than 700 pounds of recyclable material being collected at one of the foundation’s annual demolition derbies.
The partners agreed to share the cost of hiring Food Loops to gather the aluminum cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, and food waste produced at the derby, which was held May 11 at Parsons Stadium in Springdale.
The foundation puts on entertainment events at Parsons Stadium, including the annual Rodeo of the Ozarks, and it hadn’t previously paid to have recycling occur at any of its activities.
While a private company was hired to handle the recycling at the demolition derby, it’s possible for event organizers to increase recycling with a small team of volunteers. NWA Recycles maintains an event recycling toolkit on its website, providing guidance that should be helpful to most event organizers.
NWA Recycles has a series of goals to achieve in 2024. They are all focused on proving that it’s possible to keep far more recyclable material out of landfills, and NWA Recycles is measuring how successful each of the recycling efforts are.
There are NWA Recycles committees focused on doing more recycling at community events like the demolition derby while other teams are giving attention to recycling glass, mattresses, food waste, and to capturing more recyclables at the region’s schools.
The recycling teams continue to look for new partners. More information can be obtained by contacting Lee Chalmers at lee@nwacouncil.org
