Arizona agency invites public participation in recycling planning

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) says a federal grant it has been awarded will help the ADEQ and the wider public identify strategies to “move Arizona toward a more sustainable future supported by a circular economy.”

The ADEQ says U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funding it has received under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program will help the agency develop a new Integrated Solid Waste & Materials Management Plan (ISWMMP).

“Because Arizona’s solid waste landscape has undergone many changes since the original plan was written in 1981, ADEQ intends for this new plan to reflect updated objectives and strategies,” the agency says, pointing to circular economy aspects specifically.

A notice posted to the ADEQ website says the agency is seeking public input throughout 2024 and into 2025. “Local business owners, tribal nations, cities, counties and residents with knowledge of the waste and recycling sector are encouraged to lend their voices to the development of a new and improved ISWMMP,” according to the agency.

“Through the development of this plan and with key input from stakeholders across the state, ADEQ will identify ways to implement waste reduction and recycling strategies to align with the evolving landscape of solid waste management, which encompasses trash reduction, reuse, recycling and composting,” the ADEQ adds.

The information gathering portion of its ISWMMP planning will involve what the agency calls “multiple rounds of in-person and virtual meetings across the state, with a commitment to hearing from every county, multiple sectors and engaged citizens.”

ADEQ says it will host three rounds of in-person public meetings and three online meetings. The in-person meetings will take place in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona. The in-person and online meetings have been planned for June and November of this year and April of 2025.

More information about the process can be found on the ADEQ website.