SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): According to the Northwest Arkansas Council's (NAC) Annual Regional Recycling Report, recycling activities in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) increased significantly last year. The NWA recycling rate reached new highs, thanks to Fayetteville recycling efforts.

As per the report, local public, private, and nonprofit programs collected and processed around 48,639 tons of recyclable material in 2023. This is significantly higher by more than 3,000 tons, when compared with 2022.

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Fayetteville emerged as the region's biggest recycler. The collections of food scraps and yard waste for composting totaled around 12,000 tons in 2023, rising by over 50% from the year before. The major contributor was the expanded organics composting operation, said the report. The expanded regional effort is being supported by a grant from the Walmart Foundation to the Northwest Arkansas Council.

Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, praised the region’s efforts. The region’s comprehensive recycling system benefits individual residents to the biggest employers, who have played a major role in help Fayetteville achieve the important milestone, he added.