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Arkansas Tech students present recycling education campaign; Earth Day launch planned April 25
Summary
Arkansas Tech University students presented a recycling education campaign to the Russellville finance committee after surveying Pope County residents; major findings: 27% cited lack of information as the top barrier, 26% cited lack of recycling bins. Students will showcase materials at an Earth Day event April 25, 2026 at James School Park.
Students from Arkansas Tech University presented a semester-long interdisciplinary recycling education campaign to the Russellville finance committee, summarizing survey findings, outreach plans and campaign materials and inviting the public to an Earth Day launch.
"27% of our survey respondents responded that their biggest challenge was lack of information or unclear instructions," Luna Scarlett, the engagement lead, told the committee, citing the team’s Russellville recycling awareness survey. The team said 26% of respondents named lack of recycling bins as their primary barrier; inconvenience and limited home space each accounted for about 15% of responses.
The student teams described deliverables prepared for the city: a campaign brand and logo, brochures tailored for apartment residents, bin signage for the planned drop-off facility, printed flyers and window clings for participating businesses, and a social-media series (including a recurring "Will It Recycle Wednesday" feature). The class also visited the Fayetteville recycling center and the Yell County landfill to benchmark practices and inform recommendations.
Students said they produced educational materials for local elementary schools and piloted lessons in London, Crawford and Oakland Heights; Bethany Walter said classroom activities included crosswords, a comic strip and word-search exercises to reinforce lessons at home.
Priscila Garcia noted the team translated materials to reach non-English speakers and increase usage of the city’s drop-off center. Kinley Garner, the video lead, said the team developed a slate of short-form video concepts and plans to film residents and local landmarks to promote the campaign.
The students invited the public to an Earth Day celebration on April 25, 2026, at James School Park, 807 West 4th Place, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where they will table and display campaign materials. City officials thanked the class and said the campaign will help the city get the right materials into the new recycling facility and reduce contamination in recycling streams.
What’s next: students will display materials at the Earth Day event and the city will consider the campaign’s recommendations as the new recycle facility opens.
