Authority: Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-203(a)(l)
During its 1991 session, the Arkansas General Assembly enacted twelve laws pertaining to solid waste. Act 752 established the solid waste districts and mandates regional solutions for solid waste management, and Act 749 set a state recycling goal of 40% of the 1991 waste stream by the year 2000.
The Regional Recycling & Waste Reduction District began as the Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District in 1992 - one of eighteen Arkansas regional solid waste management districts authorized under Act 752 of 1991. The District includes all of Pulaski County. The District's Board of Directors is chaired by the Pulaski County Judge and consists of the mayors of Jacksonville, Little Rock, Maumelle, North Little Rock, and Sherwood. The mayors of the smaller communities of Alexander, Cammack Village, and Wrightsville are ex-officio members of the Board.
While the Board of Directors establishes policy and governs the District, a Technical Committee made up of the Public Works Directors or Sanitation Managers of the member local governments meets regularly to analyze solid waste issues and make recommendations to the Board.
In Arkansas, solid waste management districts assist local governments in planning and overseeing municipal solid waste management programs and services. Municipal solid waste (MSW) refers to all residential and commercial solid wastes including garbage, trash, electronics, waste tires, batteries, motor oil and household chemical wastes. Districts also administer recycling grants and waste tire management programs funded by the State of Arkansas through the Department of Environmental Quality.
The District operates with revenues from the Solid Waste Management and Recycling Fund established in Ark. Code Ann. § 8-6-605, from grant programs, and from a tipping fee of 30 cents per ton of solid waste deposited in the landfills in Pulaski County, and a fee of $2.00 per ton applied to solid waste generated within the District and delivered outside the District, and vice versa, as authorized by Ark. Code Ann. § 8-6-714. Also, the District receives income from hauler permits, waste tire processing fees, and interest on investments.
The Regional Recycling and Waste Reduction District works with Pulaski County jurisdictions in the areas of garbage and yard waste collection, composting, e-waste, recycling, tires, and household chemicals. The cities and the County provide their own services, but use a regional approach to achieve system efficiencies through contract negotiation and administration.
In early 2008, the name of the Pulaski County Solid Waste Management District was changed to the Regional Recycling and Waste Reduction District to highlight its highest priorities - recycling and waste reduction.
For more information about the solid waste operations or laws, contact the District at (501) 340-8787. Submissions and requests, including Freedom of Information Act requests, may be addressed to the District at 300 Spring Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.
Authority: Ark. Code Ann. § 8-6-703, 8-6-704.
Authority: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 8-6-710, and 8-6-714
The Board is responsible for the solid waste management of the District, which by necessity includes the collection, disposal, treatment and general management of the District's whole system of operations.
The Board is authorized to contract concerning facilities of any nature necessary or desirable for the control, collection and disposal, treatment of other handling of solid waste.
The Board may fix, charge and collect rents, fees and charges for the disposal, treatment or other handling of solid waste by the District. Notwithstanding that the District does not itself own and operate the landfills nor the fleet of collection vehicles, the management of the total system of waste disposal and treatment is included in the authority of the Board to raise revenues.
227.00.13 Ark. Code R. 001