Northeastern
Arkansas Recycling Company (NEARCO) is located in Madison, St. Francis
County. Located on a 13-acre tract that was previously housed another
recycling company, NEARCO is a model example for other counties
in Arkansas. St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco wanted to help
taxpayers save their money and keep as much reusable materials as
possible out of the landfills. In spring of 1999 he appealed to
the county and appropriated funds for initial start-up costs. NEARCO
was established in the summer of 1999. Although service is currently
limited to the county, NEARCO is fully capable of expanding recycling
operations to handle the entire northeastern region.
JD
Sharp was appointed supervisor of NEARCO on August 1, 1999. After
two months of cleanup and inventory, operations began in October
and consisted of collecting and baling old corrugated cardboard
(OCC). Now, newspaper roll ends, old papers (newspaper and white
paper), polypipe, tires, shrink-wrap, white goods, and cardboard
boxes from shipments are all materials accepted by the facility.
Paper and cardboard are shredded and baled, white goods are drained
of freon and oils, and cans, tires, and tubing are separated for
shipment. These materials come from businesses, community members,
road clean-ups, and monitoring of illegal dump sites. Various marketing
and paper stock companies purchase the recyclable materials and
utilize them in production of new items.
Large
trailers are placed around the community and serve as collection
points for various recyclable goods. Businesses and citizens utilize
these trailers or drop off goods at the facility. Businesses participating
in the recycling program include Rubitex, Foam Fabrication, Freds,
General Dollar, Sawmill Restaurant, and Sears. Since operations
began, thousands of tons of recyclable goods have passed through
the facility. Not only are environmental needs being met through
this recycling plan, but participating businesses see an immediate
financial benefit as well; some have saved between $500.00 to $1,500.00
a year on landfill (or solid waste fees).
Companies
that use old materials for new products purchase recyclable materials
by the truckload from NEARCO. Ozark Recycling Enterprise (ORE) and
Linn Paper Stock take the baled cardboard and paper shreds and use
them to make new paper products. Friedman's Scrap Metal, out of
West Helena, purchases the white goods and aluminum cans are sent
to local can processors. NEARCO employees are constantly on the
lookout for new markets for otherwise unrecyclable products. Foam
OCC is usually discarded; the foam makes it very difficult/impossible
to recycle, but it makes excellent packing material. Lytle Manufacturing,
a packing/shipping company and manufacturer of duck decoys in St.
Francis County, uses the foam OCC for packing material. NEARCO also
found that Delta Plastics of the South (DPS), out of Stuttgart,
will recycle used polypipe for a variety of products; shrink wrap,
garbage bags, and plastic sheeting are just a few of the 'new' uses
for the tubing. DPS also chops plastics to use as fuel.
A
grant garnered with the help of East Arkansas Solid Waste Department
has allowed for the purchase of a grapple truck. This vehicle will
be used to pick up and transport white goods; washers, dryers, refrigerators,
etc. Owned and operated by St. Francis County, NEARCO is totally
self sufficient; no state monies are used by the facility. Sales
of recyclable material cover operations costs, nine full time employees,
and even manages to turn a small profit.
Prison labor is used for road clean-ups as well as facility labor when
'there's lots of stuff to do'. If laborers are needed, they are provided
by St. Francis County Jail. All aluminum cans processed by NEARCO were
collected from the roadside by prison labor.
RECYCLED ITEMS
Old Corrugated Cardboard (OCC) and Foam-backed OCC- shredded and baled.
OCC is recycled and used for insulation, packing, and new cardboard.
Three truckloads of 24 bales are moved out each week. Since October
1999, 1,753 tons of OCC have been recycled. Foam OCC is used as packing
material. Since April 2001, 70 tons of Foam OCC have been recycled.
Arkansas NaturalInstitute of Scrap Recycling IndustriesHummelstein Recycling
Paper - shredded and baled. Old News Print (ONP) and Sorted White Office
Paper (SOW). Used for insulation and new paper. Since January 2000,
112 Tons of ONP have been recycled; since July 2000, 90 tons of
SOW have been recycled. Arkansas
Recycling Coalition
Polypipe - collected by Delta Plastics of Stuttgart (DPS). Melted for
plastic sheeting, shrink wrap, garbage bags. Also chops tubing; shredded
polypipe is used as fuel for industry.
Stretch Wrap - new stretch wrap. Since December 2000, 60 tons of stretch
wrap have been recycled. American
Plastics Council
Aluminum Cans - shipped to place here. Crushed and melted for aluminum,
new cans. Since April 2000, 25 tons of cans have been recycled. All
cans collected have come from roadside prison clean ups.
White Goods - drain oil, remove freon (sometimes plastic). Once contaminant
free, sold as scrap metal. Melted and used for new steel, automobile
parts, railroad tracks, steel studs for houses, etc.
For more information, see Steel Recycling Institute,Nucor
Tires - NEARCO is the collection point of St. Francis County for waste
tires. Although tires in eastern Arkansas usually end up in a tire mono-fill,
other states support companies that recycle them. Tires can be shredded
and used for a variety of products; anything from notebooks to roadways.
For additional information on waste tire removal and other products
made from tires, see the Rubber Manufacturers
Association webpage.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS:
A white goods collection was sponsored by NUCOR, a Blytheville steel
company, January and February of 2001. Over 26.5 tons of white goods
were recovered and recycled.
The first annual Clean Out Your Files Day was held on April 23, 2001.
Businesses in St. Francis County cleaned out old files and donated 2.5
tons of sorted office and white paper in one day.
Northeastern
Arkansas Recycling Company (NEARCO) is located in Madison, St. Francis
County. Located on a 13-acre tract that was previously housed another
recycling company, NEARCO is a model example for other counties
in Arkansas. St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco wanted to help
taxpayers save their money and keep as much reusable materials as
possible out of the landfills. In spring of 1999 he appealed to
the county and appropriated funds for initial start-up costs. NEARCO
was established in the summer of 1999. Although service is currently
limited to the county, NEARCO is fully capable of expanding recycling
operations to handle the entire northeastern region.
JD
Sharp was appointed supervisor of NEARCO on August 1, 1999. After
two months of cleanup and inventory, operations began in October
and consisted of collecting and baling old corrugated cardboard
(OCC). Now, newspaper roll ends, old papers (newspaper and white
paper), polypipe, tires, shrink-wrap, white goods, and cardboard
boxes from shipments are all materials accepted by the facility.
Paper and cardboard are shredded and baled, white goods are drained
of freon and oils, and cans, tires, and tubing are separated for
shipment. These materials come from businesses, community members,
road clean-ups, and monitoring of illegal dump sites. Various marketing
and paper stock companies purchase the recyclable materials and
utilize them in production of new items. 
Large
trailers are placed around the community and serve as collection
points for various recyclable goods. Businesses and citizens utilize
these trailers or drop off goods at the facility. Businesses participating
in the recycling program include Rubitex, Foam Fabrication, Freds,
General Dollar, Sawmill Restaurant, and Sears. Since operations
began, thousands of tons of recyclable goods have passed through
the facility. Not only are environmental needs being met through
this recycling plan, but participating businesses see an immediate
financial benefit as well; some have saved between $500.00 to $1,500.00
a year on landfill (or solid waste fees). 
Companies
that use old materials for new products purchase recyclable materials
by the truckload from NEARCO. Ozark Recycling Enterprise (ORE) and
Linn Paper Stock take the baled cardboard and paper shreds and use
them to make new paper products. Friedman's Scrap Metal, out of
West Helena, purchases the white goods and aluminum cans are sent
to local can processors. NEARCO employees are constantly on the
lookout for new markets for otherwise unrecyclable products. Foam
OCC is usually discarded; the foam makes it very difficult/impossible
to recycle, but it makes excellent packing material. Lytle Manufacturing,
a packing/shipping company and manufacturer of duck decoys in St.
Francis County, uses the foam OCC for packing material. NEARCO also
found that Delta Plastics of the South (DPS), out of Stuttgart,
will recycle used polypipe for a variety of products; shrink wrap,
garbage bags, and plastic sheeting are just a few of the 'new' uses
for the tubing. DPS also chops plastics to use as fuel. 
A
grant garnered with the help of East Arkansas Solid Waste Department
has allowed for the purchase of a grapple truck. This vehicle will
be used to pick up and transport white goods; washers, dryers, refrigerators,
etc. Owned and operated by St. Francis County, NEARCO is totally
self sufficient; no state monies are used by the facility. Sales
of recyclable material cover operations costs, nine full time employees,
and even manages to turn a small profit.