Our Focus

Education

Education is the heart of our mission and we believe every child in Arkansas deserves to grow up in a clean, green and beautiful state! That's why we developed our mascot program, featuring Otto the Otter, to help educate and inspire children in Arkansas. Our goal is to instill a sense of pride, responsibility and love for our state for many generations to come. Learn more about our educational program and tools available for you on our For Teachers page.

Litter

Arkansas has 100,000 acres of public roadside along its 16,367-mile state highway system, 9,700 miles of streams, and 600,000 acres of lakes … and, unfortunately, litter can be found along all of them!

Keep Arkansas Beautiful (KAB) and the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) provide a 24-hour, toll-free litter hotline.

If you spot a littering violation along any streets, roads or highways, simply call 866-811-1222 to report the situation. All types of trash and all types of vehicles can be reported, as long as the license plate number is provided. Click here to learn more about the Litter Hotline.

Through programs such as the Great Arkansas Cleanup in the fall and the Great American Cleanup in Arkansas in the spring, Keep Arkansas Beautiful encourages litter pickups year-round in Arkansas communities. To learn more about getting involved in these events, contact Robyn Taylor, volunteer program manager, at robyn.taylor@arkansas.gov.

Download our “Place Trash Here” or “Please Don’t Litter” signs.

Recycling

More Arkansans are recycling today than ever before. The state’s recycling rate and the benefits from recycling continue to increase. Arkansans recycled 1.9 million tons, or 40.2%, of all waste in 2004.

While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more dramatically: 42% of all paper, 40% of all plastic soft drink bottles, 55% of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 57% of all steel packaging, and 52% of all major appliances are now being recycled.

Want to learn more about recycling in your community? When businesses join with communities, recycling efforts can really make a difference. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) offers a variety of programs to aid businesses in their recycling efforts.

In addition, Keep Arkansas Beautiful helps promote programs such as Recycling @ Work, Recycle-Bowl and America Recycles Day in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful each year.

Download our “Please Recycle Here” sign.

Beautification

Trees are important to the economic vitality and environmental quality of our communities. Air quality, property value, community beautification, economic attractiveness and general livability can all be enhanced by the planting and care of trees in your community. In summer, shade trees can save up to 50% of air conditioning costs. In winter, windbreak trees can reduce heating bills as much as 30%. Trees create oxygen, prevent ground runoff, create habitats for wildlife and play a large part in regulating climate change.

During the Great American Cleanup in Arkansas and the Great Arkansas Cleanup, Keep Arkansas Beautiful promotes beautification efforts in Arkansas communities.

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