You may have noticed Sharp County Community Service Coordinator Brian Watson out working along side trustees and others performing community service to help various organizations in Sharp County, but what you may not have seen, was Watson’s tireless efforts to ensure the tri-county recycling center continued to operate.
When he wasn’t overseeing the community service program, Watson spent his time working at the recycling center whether it was traveling to retrieve recycling or fixing equipment, Watson was there.
Although he has recently retired from managing the recycling center, he continues to serve in an advisory capacity to the board. Additionally, his years of time and effort did not go unnoticed as he was recently recognized by the Arkansas Recycling Coalition (ARC).
The ARC recently held their 33rd Annual Conference, Trade Show and Awards Banquet at the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs.
“Each year this educational event attracts many professionals in the reduce, reuse, recycle, and sustainability field from around the state and nation,” the ARC said.
Watson was the recipient of the ARC’s 2024 Individual Recycler of the Year Award, which honors an individual who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of waste reduction, recycling and sustainability in Arkansas over the past year.
“I am honored to receive this award…. I feel as if all I really did to get this was my job and what I thought was right,” Watson said. “My goal has always been to keep things from going to the landfill that did not need to be there and to continue to make this very rural very small recycling center continue to pull its own weight and be a benefit not only to the community but to the environment all together. None of this is possible without the continued help and support from the communities including Sharp, Izard and Fulton Counties.”
Founded in 1989, the ARC unites companies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in a common effort to promote reduce, reuse, recycle, and sustainability as a primary means of waste management in Arkansas.
For more information, visit www.recycleark.org.
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
