NWA Council, EPIC Recycling to bring four months of free glass recycling to businesses

SPRINGDALE, Ark. ( KNWA/KFTA ) — NWA Recycles through the Northwest Arkansas Council is partnering with EPIC Glass Recycling to bring some financial relief to businesses.

For 50 businesses in Washington and Benton counties that opt in to the glass recycling program, a glass collection bin will be provided, and it will be added to EPIC Glass Recycling’s collection route. Every collection for a four-month period will be paid for by grants allotted to NWA Recycles.

“Landfill space is at a premium,” Lee Chalmers, the coordinator with NWA Recycles, said. “The landfill is filling up, and the glass being so recyclable, the idea is why not keep that out of the landfill and have it serve a greater purpose.”

After the glass is collected, Chalmers said it will be turned into an aggregate material that will be used for buildings.

The Odd Soul in Downtown Springdale is one of the restaurants that has opted in to the glass recycling program.

“I just want to recycle. We send so much junk to the landfill,” Jeffro Brown, with the restaurant, said. “Any expenditures to be taken off my checkbook are welcome.”

The Odd Soul currently stacks all of its glass bottles into a trash bag and takes it all out at once. Now, with the new smaller bin, the craft bar and pizza joint will have to make multiple trips to dump the glass — but staff isn’t complaining.

“Hallelujah,” Boston Daniels, a bartender at The Odd Soul, said when Brown mentioned not having to lift 60-pound bags of glass anymore.

Chalmers said after the four months of complimentary glass recycling is up, he hopes the businesses will continue the recycling practices.

Interested businesses can sign up by visiting NWA Recycles’ website. The deadline to sign up is Aug. 31.

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