LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It's not always easy to know what you can and cannot recycle, but one item people often wonder about is glass— especially in Arkansas's capital city.
A big change is coming soon to curbside recycling in Little Rock, including the long-awaited return of glass pickup which was originally discontinued in 2019.
According to one local resident, they recently found themselves in need of a new recycling bin. They explained that they received a newer replacement, with a different instruction label than the one on the older version.
Now, the new bins clearly say that glass is allowed to be placed inside.
At the Little Rock Board of Directors' meeting on April 2nd, there was a unanimous vote approving a three-year contract extension with Waste Management, bringing back glass recycling, along with a slight increase in fees.
The recycling fee rates will jump from $5.25 to $5.99 per month. Then in April 2025, the rate will jump to $6.31, and then $6.64 in April 2026.
The city's Public Works Department website now shows the addition of glass with a statement saying: "Glass is now accepted in household recycling carts! Clear, brown, and green glass bottles and jars can go in your curbside bin, unbagged, along with all your paper, metal, and plastic."
So we can verify that yes, Little Rock residents can repurpose glass now in addition to regular recyclables.
However, the cities of North Little Rock and Sherwood never ended their glass recycling. Now, residents in all three communities can put glass in their curbside carts.