Recycling plays a critical role in sustainability efforts. On a national scale the Environmental Protection Agency is striving to achieve a 50% recycling rate by 2030. But locally, in metro Phoenix, cities face an ongoing challenge of ensuring people understand the rules.
Residential recycling can have a lot of unknown regulations. On the surface, intuition is easy to follow. You have your paper, your plastic, your glass and aluminum. All items suitable for curbside blue bins. But beyond basic knowledge, effective recycling takes research and community effort.
The complicated truth is just because an item fits the general criteria doesn't mean it’s always recyclable
Alicia Flores is a zero waste analyst with Phoenix. She said plastic is recyclable, that includes items like bottles and jugs. But it doesn't include soft plastics, one of the city's biggest contaminants.
"So you can tell something is a soft plastic if you can ball it up and it’ll turn back into like a 2-D flat object. So like a chip bag, your plastic bags, things like that." Flores said.
Maegan Pardue with the city of Tempe said other common contaminants that cities warn against are organic waste and bagged recyclables.
"Items like Styrofoam, bubble wrap, plastic utensils and paper towels, napkins, items along that vein." Pardue said.
To find more information about recyclables, both Phoenix and Tempe have online databases with information on common household items and where to best dispose of them.
It is also important for residents to note that not all recyclables are suited for single-home curbside pickup because of size or safety.
Kris Carrillo with Republic Services said large recyclables like Auto parts can create problems in facilities.
"You'll get somebody working on their car, they’ll throw a starter out, they'll throw an alternator out. They’ll throw an oil pan out, an axel. Even rims because they’re aluminum," Carrillo said. "Even though they are recyclable, it's not residential recycle friendly so it's damaging to our systems."
Ineffective recycling is not only inconvenient, it can be dangerous. Gina Azima with the city of Scottsdale said batteries and electronics in curbside bins are hazardous.
"Lithium-ion batteries, those are the number one causes of not only truck fires, but fires at the materials recovery facilities as well," Azima said.
If you have hazardous waste like cleaning chemicals, paint and batteries you can still recycle and dispose of them properly. Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe all have household hazardous waste facilities for residents to send or drop off items at.
All this information can seem like a lot to process but Erin Walsh with Scottsdale said recycling can truly be effective even if there’s a learning curve involved.
"Start small, we understand there is a lot that can make it seem very very complicated. You know, start with glass and figure that out," Walsh said. "Maybe the next month, you know, think about paper. And a good rule of thumb is if it's dirty don't recycle it."
In an effort to spread this kind of awareness on effective recycling and reach their zero waste goals, Phoenix has a program called Master Recycler. The program offers residents a tour of the city's materials recovery facility along with presentations of all the information needed to recycle correctly.
Flores said when residents join the program, "they’ll have full access to the zero waste team. So they’ll be able to request presentations for their neighborhood. They’ll be able to join us on tabling events, request more tours."
The goal of the program is that after residents become certified master recyclers they can share the information learned and hopefully get others interested in recycling too.
Barry Maloney has participated in Phoenix's program. He talks trash on his YouTube channel where he calls himself a sanitation industry content creator.
"Residents need to know what can and can’t be recycled. So they’re making this process as efficient and profitable for the entire city as they can. And that keeps the city running, and that keeps materials being used most efficiently," Maloney said.
For more in-depth information on recycling guidelines for residential housing, waste management, and how to get involved. Check in with your city's public works department.
For questions regarding recycling options in apartments check in with building managers. Most apartment complexes out source their waste management and recycling services.
Residential recycling rules for Valley cities
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