Every year the Arkansas Recycling Coalition has the opportunity to choose a school, college or university that shows commitment to overall waste reduction. This year, the U of A's Razorback Food Recovery program was honored to receive the 2025 School/College/University Recycler of the Year award! This award is given to outstanding schools, colleges or universities that demonstrate a long-time commitment to waste reduction, recycling and sustainable resource use in both classrooms and the overall school's waste system.

Razorback Food Recovery is a student-led and student-run volunteer program that works to recover excess food from on-campus dining outlets and local retailers. Over the summer, RFR was able to recover 9,245 pounds of food from our partners. This is food waste that would typically go to a landfill when discarded. With the help of Chartwells, Starbucks, Greek Life houses and Ozark Natural Foods, RFR can redistribute excess food to those who experience food insecurity on campus and in the Fayetteville community.

Razorback Food Recovery is thankful for the recognition of our efforts to reduce food waste and feed our community. Our success would not be possible without the collaboration of our partners and student leaders!

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The Volunteer Action Center is a student-led organization that connects students at the U of A to service opportunities on and off campus. The Volunteer Action Center seeks to foster a positive relationship between students at the U of A and the Northwest Arkansas community through its six signature programs: Be B.O.L.D., Dream B.I.G., the Jane B. Gearhart Food Circle Food Pantry, Passionate About Literacy, Razorback Food Recovery and Service Engagement. Learn more by visiting volunteer.uark.edu or @uavac on Instagram.