GRAVETTE — Enclosed in the Gravette July water bill was a recycling questionnaire.
The survey, crafted by the Benton County Solid Waste District, gathered information regarding solid waste (garbage)/recycling habits, attitudes and ideas.
Ten Gravette restaurant gift certificates were offered in a drawing to those returning their questionnaires. Winners were Linda Schmitz, Keivan Strobel, Al Dunagin, Julianna Kendrick, Melody Thomas, Susan Holland, Bobbie Woods, Roy and Roe Ann Thorton, Lena Rutherford and Nadine Zachary.
The District is working with Gravette citizens on a year-long education project about reducing the amount of materials going to the landfill. Last year, the Gravette community sent more than 560 tons to the landfill.
One survey question asked who takes out the garbage at your house. That dirty responsibility seems to be shared by males and females alike. Out of the 182 surveys returned only three people seemed to know that Gravette garbage ends up in the Tontitown landfill. When asked how much garbage is generated from their household annually, the answers ranged from two bags to 1.5 tons.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimatesthat each American generates about four pounds of garbage per day.
When asked if they did recycle, 107 said, Yes, and 63 said. No. Thirty people did not know there was a trailer for recycling next to the Gravette police station.
The complete survey will be posted on the city website in the coming weeks and discussed more thoroughly in future articles.
Over this next year, the district, in cooperation with the city, will provide educational materials for children and adults about the following topics: The economics of recycling, reuse, landfills, composting, tires, household hazardous waste, electronic waste, burn barrels, litter, bulky waste, and the like.
The Gravette Community Recycling Coalition has representatives from schools, civic groups, the business community and city hall.
Anyone wishing to volunteer and help with the education project, is asked to please email the district at inter@ bcswd.com or call 795-0751. Please put in the subject line: “Gravette Recycling.”
Louise Mann is a former school teacher who began designing recycling education programs in 1989. She is contracted by the Benton County Solid Waste District to facilitate the recycling education efforts in Gravette.
News, Pages 3 on 08/22/2012