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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 17, Issue 01 | September 30, 2020

Policy Memo: ​Policy Recommendations to Reinvigorate Recycling in Arizona

Erin L. Murphy, Miranda L. Bernard, Levi Helm, Infynity Hill, Álex Tuñas-Corzón
Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170115
Keywords: recycling, sustainability, waste management, Arizona, policy 
Executive Summary: In 2018, China enacted an import ban on twenty-four types of recyclables as part of its National Sword policy, upending recycling programs across the U.S. In Arizona, many municipalities have responded by significantly reducing or completely halting their programs, causing some cities to landfill their recyclables. We have reviewed state legislation and interviewed waste management coordinators to identify the key challenges and opportunities for recycling in Arizona. Informed by our interviews, we call on Arizona state legislators to (1) pass a resolution to appropriate funding for the recycling grant program, (2) amend this program to allow for joint applications, (3) repeal A.R.S. 9-500.38, ‘Prohibition on regulation of auxiliary containers; state preemption; definition’, (4) introduce a tax on products imported in single-use containers, and (5) provide incentives to companies using Arizona recyclables. These policies would reinvigorate recycling within the state, make Arizona’s waste management systems more cost-effective, and foster new local processing and manufacturing industries.

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References

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Erin Murphy is a Ph.D. student at Arizona State University in the Conservation Innovation Lab. She is interested in developing sustainable and equitable solutions to marine conservation challenges by bridging the gap between research, policy, and management. Erin received her B.S. in Integrative Biology and M.Sc. in Geology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. @Erin_Murphy2

Miranda Bernard is a Ph.D. candidate in the Environmental Life Sciences department at Arizona State University. Her research interests center on understanding the roles of community knowledge and perceptions in marine conservation interventions, namely protected areas. @mirandalbernard

Levi Helm is a Ph.D. student at Arizona State University in the Ecology, Economics, and Ethics of the Environment program. He studies how to mitigate trade-offs and unintended consequences in developing environmental policy. Levi received his B.S. from the University of Virginia where he studied Environmental Science and Anthropology. @levihelm

Infynity Hill is a master’s student at Arizona State University in the Conservation Innovation Lab. Infynity is interested in researching how municipalities manage their solid waste and designing strategies to mitigate the environmental and human health impacts of solid waste management. Infynity earned her B.S. in Health Sciences at Arizona State University.

Alex Tuñas is a biologist interested in understanding the causes and consequences of global change in relation to biodiversity loss and ecosystem functioning. He earned a BSc in Biology at the University of Santiago de Compostela, an MRes in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at Imperial College London and an MSc in Environmental Life Sciences at Arizona State University.
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