Dive Brief:
- Renters who reside in apartments in Phoenix, AZ, are pushing for the city to put an end to an ordinance that prohibits the city from collecting recycling at multi-family complexes and commercial buildings.
- City officials said they’re uncertain why the ban was initially passed, but believe it was a preventative measure to avoid competition between the city and private waste haulers.
- Sustainability advocates want city officials to change the rules and offer recycling services to apartment buildings and businesses.
Dive Insight:
Leaders in Phoenix are at odds about whether or not recycling should be a priority at apartments and businesses. The Public Works Department in Phoenix is evaluating a recycling proposal and will bring its findings to the City Council in March.
Phoenix, one of the top 10 largest cities in the U.S., comes in last in respect to its recycling services when compared with other cities of its size. The city’s waste diversion rate was 14% in 2014.
Based on a 2011-12 survey released by UCLA, recycling rates in other large cities range from 76% in Los Angeles to 18% in San Antonio. The national average for recycling is 34%.
In March 2013, the city of Phoenix announced that it would overhaul its entire waste management system in an effort to attain its goal of a 40% diversion rate by 2020.