Recycling Grant Program is sponsored by Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Supports Arizona businesses, nonprofits, schools, and local governments in recycling efforts to reduce landfill waste and promote a circular economy.

# WPD | Recycling Grant Program | ADEQ * Ombudsman Citizens Aide * Permits by Business Type * Small Communities Compliance Assistance * Air Permits and Compliance * Air Dispersion Modeling * Natural & Exceptional Events Demonstration * State Implementation Plan (SIP) * Vehicle Emissions Testing * Monitoring Assistance Program * Surface Water Monitoring & Assessment * Surface Water Protection * Biohazardous Medical Waste * Hazardous Waste Management * Pollution Prevention (P2) * Superfund (NPL) Federal Sites * Underground Storage Tanks * Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) * Oil & Gas Conservation Commission * AZ Community Science Alliance * Regional and Border Assistance * Rural Water Infrastructure Committee (RWIC) * Voluntary Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP) Waste Programs Division | Recycling Program ## ADEQ Recycling Grant Program Revised On: Feb.

18th, 2026 - 10:13 am The ADEQ Recycling Program was established through the Arizona Solid Waste Recycling Act of 1990 (see A. R. S.

§49-831 et seq.) The Recycling Program is responsible for providing public education to encourage participation in recycling and source reduction, and for providing the public with information about proper solid waste disposal.

Program monies are derived from landfill disposal fees and fund the following types of grants: * **Waste Reduction Assistance (WRA):** Funds initiatives like curbside recycling and household hazardous waste collections to majorly curb the solid waste stream.

* **Waste Reduction Initiative Through Education (WRITE):** Funds education efforts to teach Arizonans about proper disposal of solid waste, as well as recycling campaigns and outreach programs to encourage participation in recycling.

* **Recycling Research & Development (RR&D):** Funds development of new tools, products and information to assist in diverting material from landfills by using that material to create new products or by improving old technologies. **** The Recycling Program provides funding to political subdivisions of the State of Arizona, private enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and Arizona’s Tribal Governments.

### Grant Application Resources, Forms, and Workshops ADEQ is not accepting applications at this time. Please check back periodically to see if ADEQ has appropriated funding to start the next cycle of recycling grants.

* Terms & Conditions |View > * Frequently Asked Questions |View > * Application Checklist|View > * Application Form for WRA, WRITE and RR&D |View > * Application Example Narrative |View > * Grantee Disclosure Form |View > There are no scheduled workshops at this time. ADEQ will announce future workshops if/when funding is appropriated to ADEQ again. ## Recycling Grant Program at Work [](https://www.

youtube. com/watch?

v=dudP_LdHBxg "Click to watch ADEQ Recycling Grant Program video on YouTube") ADEQ Recycling Coordinator Battery Disposal Guide >|Spanish > Data Tracking & Reporting > Recycling Grants/Committee > **Recycling Grant FAQs >** Recycling in Your Community > #### Additional Resources AZ Circular Recycling Solutions > Maricopa County Food System Coalition > The Recycling Partnership > #### Grant Resources & Forms * Frequently Asked Questions > * Application Forms/Attachments Checklist > * WRA, WRITE and RR&D Application Form > * Application Example Narrative > * Grantee Disclosure Form > ## Recycling Grant Awards The following are the FY26 Recycling Grant projects awarded for this grant cycle.

#### Arizona State University — Arizona Board of Regents – $26,889 This project will provide clear labels, updated signage, and donation bags to improve waste diversion during student move-out in university residence halls. The goal is to increase recycling and donation participation while reducing contamination and landfill waste.

#### Bold Reuse – $58,694 The Madison School District Reusable Foodware Pilot will replace single-use cafeteria trays and utensils with durable, reusable items at Madison Heights Elementary and Madison Simis Elementary, serving approximately 1,647 students.

Led by Bold Reuse in partnership with Madison School District, the program will eliminate an estimated 253,800 single-use items during the 2025–26 school year and demonstrate a scalable waste-reduction model for Arizona K-12 schools. #### Borderlands – $192,728 Borderlands Produce Rescue will expand its P. A.

C. program to divert more than 10 million pounds of solid waste materials from Arizona landfills and explore waste diversion tactics with the Santa Cruz County landfill.

#### City of Avondale – $20,490 The project will implement a lithium-ion battery diversion initiative that removes hazardous battery materials from the municipal solid waste stream through a dedicated drop-off station in Avondale and the development of public education materials.

#### City of Scottsdale – $25,000 The City of Scottsdale will expand its Food Waste Diversion and Mill Food Recycler Project from three city locations (City Civic Center, Community Studio, and City North Corp Yard) to all 17 fire stations citywide. The project provides Mill food recyclers, closed and odor-controlled systems that grind and dehydrate food scraps into a shelf-stable feed ingredient, to divert food waste from landfills.

#### Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance – $21,471. 45 This project will install new garbage and recycling bins in Heritage Square designed to reduce cross-contamination and prevent waste removal. The initiative also includes a recycling education campaign displayed through vinyl wrapped messaging on the bins.

#### Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona – $72,000 The Refiberd AI for Downstream Textile Circularity project is a six‐month pilot that uses artificial intelligence in two complementary ways to build on Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona's (GCNA) textile salvage grading program.

#### Grow Arizona Workforce Network – $14,775 Through the Bijou Teen Center in Holbrook, this program will engage teens in transforming discarded bottles, cans, and other materials into individual and collaborative works of art, promoting recycling, repurposing, creativity, and environmental responsibility. #### HonorHealth – $44,266 The expansion of Plastic Diversion Program to HonorHealth John C.

Lincoln Medical Center will extend a plastic diversion program piloted at HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center. By leasing a baler and installing supporting infrastructure, the project will enable efficient collection, compression, and transport of recyclable plastics to reduce plastic waste generated through healthcare operations.

#### Nackard Pepsi – $55,550 Nackard Pepsi will expand its free recycling program through the purchase of two cardboard balers and one liquid extractor. Equipment will be installed at the Prescott and Flagstaff branches to support continued growth of the company’s recycling operations.

#### Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) – $62,000 The SRPMIC Community Garden Composting System will establish a scalable composting operation to divert organic waste from landfills and reclaim nutrients for local food production.

The project installing an Oklin GG-10s food waste composter at the SRPMIC Round House Café operated by Aramark Workplace Hospitality, to supply compost for the community garden and support food sovereignty, resource conservation, and environmental justice.

#### San Carlos Apache Tribe – $23,000 The San Carlos Apache Tribe Department of Environmental Protection’s Solid & Green Waste Reduction Project will identify illegal dumping, pollution, and reusable waste across 1. 8 million acres of tribal land in Gila, Graham, and Pinal counties and ensure reusable materials are recycled or properly disposed of to protect community health and safety.

#### Slide Rock – $20,489 The project will install 10 recycle bins throughout Slide Rock State Park and procure four TerraCycle boxes for the disposal of nitrile gloves, with the goal of reducing landfill waste by up to 500,000 pounds annually. #### Town of Florence – $217,784.

52 The Asphalt Recycling for Sustainable Roadway Maintenance project will deploy a trailer-mounted asphalt recycling machine to repurpose broken asphalt for pothole repairs, roadway resurfacing, and pavement preservation.

By reusing existing materials, the initiative will reduce landfill waste and hydrocarbon emissions, lower traffic disruptions, decrease reliance on new asphalt purchases, and support long-term sustainability in roadway maintenance. #### Yavapai College – $65,000 Composting and Recycling for a Sustainable Future expands composting and recycling infrastructure at Yavapai College to divert food and packaging waste from landfills.

The project will produce compost for the college's agricultural programs while engaging students and the community through education and outreach, creating a closed-loop system that supports ADEQ's circular economy goals. #### Yuma County – $79,863. 03 “Desert Strong, Yuma Clean” is a countywide education campaign designed to reduce illegal dumping and increase use of Yuma County Public Works Transfer Sites.

The project combines geofencing ads, multimedia outreach, and community cleanup events to redirect waste into recovery streams while protecting the environment, safeguarding agriculture, and promoting long-term community stewardship.

## Previous Recycling Grant Recipients #### Arizona Students Recycling Used Technology (AzStRUT) – $77,900 AzStRUT’s Rural Tech Hubs: Circular Economy Program will create and implement electronic recycling plans for five priority and underserved counties in Arizona: Apache, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, and Santa Cruz. The project plans to divert 25 tons of electronics from landfills and refurbish, reuse, or recycle all collected items.

Outcomes: Diverted nearly 24 tons of used electronics from the landfill by working with three rural counties, including Pinal, Santa Cruz and Pima. AzStRUT distributed more than 9,000 computer devices in 2024, some of which were distributed throughout to rural Local Champion partners in each of the three rural counties. Four techie camps were also held, which trained 57 learners on repairing used electronic devices.

#### Borderlands Produce Rescue – $139,661. 65 Borderlands Produce Rescue’s project Potpourri for Animals and Composting (PAC) program will expand the focus on providing perishables for farmers to use as animal feed and composting groups to use for composting while diverting the solid waste materials from landfills and the waste stream.

The project plans to increase the capacity to accept more perishable products and expand the animal feed and composting program for the region through outreach. Outcomes: Diverted over 3,900 tons of perished produce from the landfill, conserving over 976 million gallons of water. The perished produce went to a network of over 140 ranchers, composting groups, animal rescues, and nonprofit gardens throughout Arizona.

The project also created 17 new jobs by hiring 15 seasonal workers, 1 part-time driver and 1 full-time staff to run the program. #### Brophy College Preparatory – $27,371. 50 The Brophy Waste Consolidation and Redirection Initiative aims to address the high school’s zero waste goals through baling cardboard and aluminum cans to sell to market.

This project will also address campus green waste by turning it into mulch to be used in their garden beds, creating a circular economy. Outcomes: The funding allowed Brophy to remove two 8-yard recycling dumpsters picked up biweekly, saving the school $2,000 monthly. It also allowed the students to capture all recyclable materials and bale it onsite.

The new program diverted nearly a half ton of baled aluminum and 9. 5 tons of cardboard for a total of 10 tons of material going back into Arizona’s circular economy. #### City of Avondale – $64,000 The City of Avondale Recycling Drop-Off Center proposal seeks to establish a strategically located recycling drop-off center near expanding multi-family housing communities in Avondale.

The overarching objectives are to provide and promote recycling opportunities to all residents in Avondale thereby diverting waste from the landfill. Outcomes: During this project, the City of Avondale diverted 13. 5 tons of materials for recycling.

The city sent out 4,206 mailers to multifamily residents to increase awareness of their new program that aims to increase access to recycling. The education and outreach efforts of the program resulted in minimal contamination, zero instances of illegal dumping and 112% increase in materials collected from the program's first month.

#### City of Bisbee – $133,000 The City of Bisbee Glass Recycling Expansion Project will acquire equipment to process glass locally and turn the recycled glass into sand and utilize this as an alternative to the sand they purchase for construction, roads, and other needs. This will allow the City of Bisbee to create a circular economy around glass within the city.

Outcomes: The new glass crusher will allow the City of Bisbee to process 83. 72 tons of glass annually. The city works with 10 local businesses to capture the glass and will continue to expand the program and utilize the glass materials in their local construction projects.

#### City of Mesa – $135,500 The City of Mesa Downtown Mesa Recycling Initiative seeks to implement a recycling collection initiative in Downtown Mesa specifically designed to address the unique needs of multi-dwelling properties, small businesses, public-use areas, and government venues, such as Mesa’s Convention Center and the Mesa Amphitheater.

The project will address recycling challenges in the area by introducing commercial commingled recycling services for downtown businesses, placing public recycling containers in high-traffic pedestrian areas, and adding recycling to both the Convention Center and Amphitheater.

Outcomes: The City of Mesa was able to divert over 29 tons of contamination-free from front load bins and nearly another ton from public space recycling containers. The average contamination rate of 5. 05%, which was addressed at the source, and by the time the materials were collected all contamination was effectively removed.

The tailored recycling education provided by the city reached 671 multi-family residences and approximately 290 commercial and retail customer personnel. This program is now an ongoing community resource that is effectively increasing access to City of Mesa residents and businesses across the city. #### City of Sedona – $53,650.

02 The City of Sedona’s Smart Recycling Receptacles project would be the City’s first smart recycling receptacles available to the public and would be a giant leap towards creating a circular economy and obtaining additional waste data for public areas in Sedona. Outcomes: Ten new public space smart containers were placed in public parks and tourist hot spots to reduce litter and successfully diverted 2.

4 tons of recyclable materials from Arizona landfills. #### Green Options PBC dba Bold Reuse – $208,000 Bold Reuse’s Phoenix Metro Regional Reuse Wash Hub project will support ADEQ’s source reduction goals by building a regional wash facility that can catalyze the introduction of and scale of reusable packaging systems within the Phoenix metro region.

Specifically, this program seeks to dramatically decrease the volume of waste and environmental impacts of single-use food and beverage items served at large-scale entertainment and sports venues, events, grade schools and corporate campuses. Outcomes: The new Bold Reuse wash hub washed 63,196 reusable containers reducing that many single use plastic containers from the landfill.

The new program brought 3 new jobs and secured 8 new clients including the Arizona Diamondbacks.

#### Let’s Go Compost – $45,000 Let’s Go Compost’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Classroom Composting Program will provide several schools with a mobile school garden and composting unit, along with technical guidance, support, and resources to educators to enhance STEAM education programs and deliver hands-on opportunities for students to interact and engage with gardening and composting, while fostering an understanding of composting’s ecological significance.

Outcomes: A total of 79 schools received composting supplies and resources which helped divert nearly 4 tons of wasted food from the landfill. This now brings Let’s Go Compost’s support to a total of 15,000 students across 121 schools with 75% of those schools designated Title 1. #### Nackard Pepsi – $66,916.

83 The Nackard Pepsi Recycling Expansion Project will allow Nackard Pepsi to obtain the equipment needed to expand their recycling program to include more communities in northern Arizona, supporting both low-income areas and indigenous communities. The new equipment will cut out unnecessary steps and reduce emissions from transportation.

Outcomes: Nackard Pepsi was able to expand recycling collection services to several businesses helping to divert nearly 106 tons of materials back into Arizona’s circular economy. This allowed for a 42% increase in diversion which can be largely attributed to the acquisition of a larger baler, which enhanced the processing capacity and enabled program expansion.

#### Northern Arizona University (NAU), Board of Regents – $43,000 NAU’s project, Promoting Recycling Behavior at NAU using a Community-Based Social Marketing Approach (CBSM), will advocate for desirable recycling behavior which will increase recycling rates, as well as create a model for other universities to follow.

Activities will utilize key strategies from the community-based social marketing CBSM approach, including prompts; commitments; activating social norms; encouraging social diffusion; and clear, concise communication. Outcomes: NAU was able to reach a majority of campus students through the use of this funding to improve recycling efforts.

They held 3 recycling education activities (on the topics of waste disposal, material decomposition rates, and zero waste and 3 training sessions for Peer Supporters to learn how to do the recycling education activities with their students (with 60 Peer Supporters attending the sessions).

They also held 6 outreach events at NAU using recycling activities, provided 1,220 recycling education stickers for recycling units on campus, 450 recycling education magnets for students in Campus Living Communities, 18 recycling education posters for Campus Living Communities and 25,000 Jacks Axe Waste stickers.

#### Rim Country Senior Center – $6,000 The Rim Country Senior Center Recycling upgrade and expansion project will help to improve collections through updated signage and equipment. The senior center will also be increasing access to recycling for residents and businesses by adding 10 new collection points in the surrounding areas of Overgaard.

Outcomes: The Rim Country Senior Center was able to increase their aluminum can diversion rate by 30% using the new can crusher acquired with the ADEQ Recycling Grant. In March of 2024, Rim County sent 527 pounds of aluminum cans to recycling and in March of 2025, they were able to send 686 pounds of aluminum cans.

The Senior Center achieved over 3 tons of aluminum cans diverted from landfills, bringing in an additional nearly $3,000 to support their Meals on Wheels Program. ## Arizona Recycling Advisory Committee (ARAC) The Arizona Recycling Advisory Committee (ARAC) was formed to review recycling grant applications and help monitor the progress of awarded projects.

1 ### The ARAC Members consist of: * Two representatives from private solid waste collection businesses * Two representatives from private solid waste recycling businesses * Four representatives from political subdivisions that have implemented recycling and source reduction programs, at least one of whom resides in a county having a population of fewer than five hundred thousand persons * One representative of the general public #### Phil Scheinbein | ARAC Chair CEO, Generated Materials Recovery Phil has led Generated Materials Recovery since 2003.

During his tenure, Generated Materials Recovery became the leading processor of manufacturing and distribution of industrial waste streams for more than 100 of Arizona’s largest manufacturers. Generated Materials Recovery was a Finalist for the 2023 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence from Arizona Forward.

#### Amanda Jordan | ARAC Vice Chair Circular Economy Project Manager, City of Phoenix Amanda works collaboratively across the Public Works and Community and Economic Development departments to drive forward the City’s circular economy initiatives.

She has studied and worked in the space of circular economy for over a decade, oversees the development of the City’s 40-acre Resource Innovation Campus, and manages internal and external partnerships. Deputy Solid Waste Director, City of Mesa Joe has overseen solid waste and recycling programs in Arizona for nearly 30 years.

He has been a leader in recycling and circular economy initiatives in local government ranging from remanufacturing of new products from recycled materials and implementing procurement programs to purchase materials manufactured from recycled content.

Founder & CEO, Enviro Manufacturing Inc. & Transformadora de Mexico Since 1994, Baltazar has been providing waste management solutions to the maquila industry in Arizona, Sonora and Baja California. He has established business relationships with local, national and international companies and works with clients to meet their environmental objectives.

He also promotes recycling programs in schools, foundations, companies and government agencies to reduce pollution impact. Director of Sales and Marketing, Waste Connections of Arizona Larry leads the effort to create and maintain strong bonds with the company’s municipality and HOA client base through innovative community outreach programs and recycling education and awareness.

During his 15-year tenure in the waste industry, he has directed countless marketing and business development initiatives that increased market placement and raised significant awareness in recycling. Larry has collaborated with partner corporations, municipalities and government organizations to help shape environmental strategy and goals.

Director of Sustainability Practice, Arizona State University Over the last 10 years, Raj has developed circular economy solutions at local and regional scales, building collaborative expert-practitioner networks to advance circular economy, and developing circular economy curricula.

He was instrumental in collaboratively building ASU’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service, a university-based sustainability solutions knowledge and discovery practice, with an applied research and solutions development mission.

Maricopa County Facilities Management (Sustainability Division), Recycling Coordinator Since 2007, Travis has served in various roles at Maricopa County, including Environmental Specialist to conduct code compliance inspections, Hazardous Waste Specialist to aid with Emergency Responses at county locations, and Recycling Coordinator.

He has managed the County’s internal recycling program (MC Recycling) development, which has grown from initially removing about 175,000 pounds of the county’s batteries, light bulbs, aerosols and oil a year to removing about 2 million pounds a year.

City of Sedona Sustainability Department, Sustainability Coordinator Sarah leads waste diversion efforts for Sedona and collaborates with the surrounding area in her role as a Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Sedona. She manages the city’s annual household hazardous waste event and introduced a second event with on-site paper shredding and medical waste drop-off.

Through cross-department collaborations, she oversees the city’s internal and community-facing recycling projects and developed zero-waste strategies for city-hosted events.

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