Across the United States, companies are increasingly moving production closer to home to improve supply chain reliability and reduce reliance on imports. This approach, referred to as “reshoring” or “nearshoring,” depends on access to dependable, high-quality materials. Arkansas has become a leader in this area by converting recycled materials into steel, plastics, and paper products that support modern manufacturing and help build a circular economy.
Circularity involves reintegrating waste from previous uses back into production processes, which reduces the need for newly mined ore or imported plastics. Benefits of this system include shorter supply lines, lower transportation costs and emissions, and reduced vulnerability to global market disruptions. The recycling industry in Arkansas also supports thousands of well-paying jobs while ensuring a steady supply of essential materials for industries such as automotive, construction, and packaging.
Arkansas recyclers process old buildings, bridges, vehicles, and appliances at the end of their useful life to recover ferrous metals that meet rigorous performance standards comparable to new steel made from raw ore. Currently, over 70 percent of U.S.-produced steel is manufactured using recycled materials. Nucor’s mills in Mississippi County play a significant role in transforming recycled inputs into steel for cars and infrastructure.
The state is also notable for its role in plastics recycling. Revolution operates a recycling hub in Stuttgart and manufacturing facilities in Little Rock that have processed over one billion pounds of plastics. Used agricultural plastics are converted into products such as polytube and trashcan liners made with high levels of post-consumer resin.
Corrugated cardboard is another key recyclable material widely used across the country. International Paper operates six sustainable packaging facilities in Arkansas that reuse more than five million tons of recycled fiber each year to produce new corrugated packaging from recovered boxes, newspapers, and office paper. Since 2013, International Paper has increased its recovery rate for corrugated packaging by 93 percent and overall recovery by 40 percent.
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) stated: “Seeing the success of the recycled materials industry in The Natural State has directly informed my policy priorities in the U.S. Senate.” He added: “Whether passing pro-growth and investment policies like tax reform or leading the Senate Recycling Caucus to promote awareness around this evolving sector, I am proud to work in bipartisan fashion and advance commonsense ideas.” Boozman highlighted recent legislative efforts: “This year, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously advanced my legislation, the Strategies to Eliminate Waste and Accelerate Recycling Development (STEWARD) Act, to strengthen voluntary standardized data collection efforts that help Arkansas manufacturers make informed business decisions while discerning industry trends.”
He further encouraged other states: “The circular economy plays a small role in each of our lives. From the bridges we drive across to the appliances we replace and cardboard boxes we break down, what is recycled today becomes the durable materials we rely on tomorrow. I would encourage other states to follow Arkansas’s lead because it is clearly a winning play for our economy and the environment.”
For more details about these initiatives visit The Hill’s website.
