Solid Waste Infrastructure and Recycling Grant Project (SWIFR)

The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has announced it will host stakeholder meetings across the state for better understanding of public perception on the state of solid waste management.

The project aims to update the Statewide Solid Waste Management Plan (SSWMP), create guidelines for tracking and reporting recycling data, and provide education and outreach to make recycling reporting more consistent. DEQ is charged by Ark. Code Ann. § 8-6-1902 with the development of a SSWMP that establishes the minimum requirements for regional solid waste management plans (RSWM). The three-year project has been made possible by a $531,690 Solid Waste Infrastructure and Recycling (SWIFR) grant awarded to DEQ by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Current RSWM plan requirements established through the SSWMP include strategic planning, reporting, public notice and participation, services, and solutions to problems and issues. Once the statewide plan is updated, the 19 regional solid waste management districts will update their regional plans accordingly and submit to DEQ for approval.

The stakeholder meetings will be held across the state throughout 2025 and will be listed below as scheduled.

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Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings

• 5:30 – 7 p.m., Thursday, February 13, 2025
  Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment Headquarters
  5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72118
  RSVP at ee.enterprisegroup@arkansas.gov