Bin less, recycle more

On December 5, 2019, the ASU Center for Biodiversity Outcomes hosted Lucas Mariacher, the Zero Waste coordinator in the City of Phoenix. Zero waste is an educational outreach program aiming to achieve zero waste by 2050. To achieve this goal, Mariacher discussed the common misconceptions about recycling and how to recycle properly. “Arizona landfills produce 47 million cubic feet [of waste] per day, with landfills being the third largest producer of methane in the United States,” Mariacher explained. To alleviate the effects of waste, Mariacher shared a few tips anyone can easily implement to maximize our recycling efforts:

• When recycling plastic bottles, keep the caps on
• Always make sure the peanut butter container is cleaned before recycling
• Electronics, car parts, motors, oil and batteries are not recyclable
• Do not bag your recyclables
• Pizza boxes with oil cannot be recycled, but consider recycling the oil-free tops of pizza boxes
• Styrofoam is not recyclable
• Do not crush your soda cans
• Tops on glass jars need to come off
• Do not recycle soft plastics, but return plastic bags to your local grocery store or retail store
• Break down your boxes before recycling

If you wish to decrease the amount of waste you produce, consider the following: (1) use reusable bottles, bags, paper towels, napkins and containers; (2) take advantage of Arizona State University’s Blue Bag program to increase sustainable waste options; (3) get involved in community events and inform residents about the Zero Waste goal. For more information about the City of Phoenix’s recycling programs, click here.