Two bins to collect donations were removed from the parking lot at the former Fred's store on North Curtis Avenue at the request of the property owners, according to Mayor Jackie Crabtree, who said illegal dumping at the site created not only an eye-sore, but additional costs to the organizations collecting the donations. Proceeds from those bins benefited the Boys and Girls Club.
"People need to be aware of the consequences of what they're doing," Crabtree said. "It affects many others."
There is a bin in the parking lot of Pea Ridge Veterinary Clinic on Lee Town Road, the mayor said, adding that there is starting to be illegal dumping on that site, too.
Daniel Leslie, market team managers for American Textile Recycling Service, that provided the bins, wrote to the mayor:
"Thank you for your support of the ATRS Clothing and Shoe Donation bins to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Arkansas. The residents of Pea Ridge have donated very well since we placed donation bins in the city; however, we have had to deal with lots of dumping."
Leslie said only new or like new (gently used) clothing, shoes, and household textiles were acceptable in the bins.
"We are not in a position to be able to deal with household miscellaneous items or furniture.
"I have personally serviced the bins three times this past week and have picked up: two mattresses, box spring, recliner, upholstered chair, couch, several TVs, and other assorted non-usable items. The disposal of all the items I collected over the week has cost us a significant amount to dispose. This is just an example of the dumping that has been happening at our bins.
"Should the dumping continue, we will have no choice but to pull our bins out of the city to ensure our long term viability to support the Boys & Girls Clubs," Leslie said.
Crabtree, chairman of the Benton County Solid Waste District, said there are many options for people to dispose of unwanted items including convenience center for the Solid Waste District in Centerton as well as in Rogers and Siloam Springs.
"There's so many options of what can be done," he said. "There's times people can take things to the convenience center at Centerton. There's options to have green bags from Waste Management delivered to your house. There's so many options available, that it's just unreasonable for people just to dump it.
"What they don't understand is that when something dumped like that it costs people -- us the city or the company taking care of collection bins. They're causing financial burdens to other people by dumping, and it's illegal."
He said mattresses had also been dumped near the recycle trailers behind the fire station.
"People don't realize that recycle materials are valued on their purity and the more contaminants you get in there the more it decreases the value of the recyclables."
"We're barely staying afloat with the Solid Waste District," he said, explaining that as the cost decreases it's harming the Solid Waste District.
The recycle trailers are popular and are changed out three times a week, he said, adding that there is only one other site in Benton County that uses their recycle trailers as much. The trailers have been provided for about 10 years, he said.
The trailer for the aluminum cans is "for the school, that's totally separate," he said. "But we've had people fill that with cardboard boxes.
"People's poor choices affect everybody," he said.
General News on 08/07/2019