Marion eatery wins recycling award

Marion eatery wins recycling award

Funkee’s Cafe recognized for community involvement

news@theeveningtimes.com

A Marion restaurant has been honored with a top recycling award for its efforts to recycle and cut down on the amount waste going into the landfill.

Funkee’s Cafe was selected by the Arkansas Recycling Coalition as the recipient of the 2016 Community Involvement Award.

ARC is a non-profit coalition of 250 community, government agencies, individuals, and business members who promote and share ideas and technical knowledge to encourage recycling and waste reduction in Arkansas.

To receive the Community Involvement Award a business or organization must be a positive role model in the community who actively recycle and promote and encourage others to take part in recycling efforts.

Funkee’s owner Mary Singer said she is honored by the recognition.

“I’m excited,” Singer said. “I try and inspire people and show them how important it is to recycle everything they can.”

Funkee’s recycles all of its milk containers used to make its gelatto and also has a Dumpster in back of the business for cardboard.

“When we make our gelatto, I take every container of milk that I can and make sure that I recycle those containers and make sure they are not put back into a landfill,” Singer said. “We also break down all of our cardboard and put it in the Dumpster and inspire other tenants to do the same. Everything I do is absolutely integrated into recycling and generating less waste and not putting things into our landfill as we can.”

Funkee’s also used recycled building materials when they built the restaurant at Bella Vista Commons.

Marion Chamber of Commerce President Mike Demster said he is proud of Funkee’s for setting such a good example.

“It reflects well not only for Funkee’s, but for our entire community,” Demster

said.

Singer, who is a member of ARC, said local recycling efforts in Marion and Crittenden County are also increasing.

The county has recycling trailers in the parking lot behind the courthouse and Marion in 2015 started a curbside pick up recycling program where residents can get free bags from the city to put their recyclable materials in which can then be set on the street during trash pick up times.

Marion also has added a special trailer at the county courthouse where residents can recycle unwanted electronic devices as well.

Singer, who works for CRG Sustainable Solutions, a company which advises corporations on how to better improve supply chain, energy, and material sustainability strategies, said she is hoping to work with other restaurants in the area on ways to reduce the amount of food waste going to the landfill.

“There are some great things happening in that area and a lot of new innovations,” Singer said. “I hope to inspire others here to work with us and bring a lot of what I learn back to

Marion.”

Singer will travel to Eureka

Springs to receive the

award at ARC’s annual conference.

“I think this is an exciting opportunity to showcase Funkee’s and other businesses,” Singer said. “I’m new. But this is something that is important to me. I think we are all collectively doing a much better job of recycling.”

By Mark Randall