Tactic A1.6
Waste Prevention and Recycling (mid-term goal)
Expand the capacity of local organizations to deepen the range of waste prevention and recycling.
There are types of recyclable waste that cannot be handled by Sedona Recycles and Sedona Compost for reasons such as cost and required facility upgrades. This tactic identifies which capacities and materials could most easily be expanded, along with strategies to increase participation.
IMPACTED PILLARS
TIMEFRAME Mid-term (2-3 years)
LEAD PARTNER Sedona Recycles
SUPPORTING PARTNERS SCC&TB, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Sustainability Alliance, Sedona Compost
ALIGNING RESEARCH Nonprofit Focus Group
TARGET / STATUS TO DATE FY21
1. Build capacity of what Sedona Recycles can collect and process - TARGET = 70% / STATUS = 40%
PROGRESS TO DATE
Expand the capacity of local organizations to deepen the range of waste prevention and recycling.
This mid-term goal does not call for immediate action in the first two years of the Plan’s implementation. Nevertheless, several waste prevention steps deserve mention here.
Sedona Recycles tracks each recycle bin and its weight to establish the number of tons of material collected and processed.
Sedonans have access to five full-service 24/7 recycling drop off sites. Sedona Recycles operates recycling dumpsters at 17 Sedona businesses and nonprofit organizations, and each week services 18 additional businesses that do not have dumpster space. Five businesses and one school have Sedona Recycle-provided recycling trailers which they regularly transport to the recycling facility.
In calendar 2019, the year the Sustainable Tourism Plan was adopted, 44 industry professionals with the Solid Waste Association of North America toured Sedona’s recycling facility to observe small-community best practices as part of the Waste Con Conference. Sedona Recycles partnered with Sedona Compost to demonstrate the strategies and progress occurring in Sedona, proving that a smaller, rural community can have an impact when grassroots organizations work together.
FY20 & 21: The Sustainability Alliance sponsored the first Annual Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization Moonshot event with a $2,500 sponsorship, saving tons of trash in landfills.
Sedona Recycles reopened limited collection of Styrofoam, egg cartons and batteries Monday through Friday and began limited collection of electronics, collected on Wednesday. Due to community response, Sedona Recycles planned expanded collections.
In June 2020, Sedona Recycles demonstrated how small rural communities can implement best practices in collecting and recycling glass bottles at a webinar sponsored by the Glass Recycling Coalition. Sedona Recycles was joined by Balcones Recycling in Texas; the two organizations are the only certified glass recyclers in the U.S. Each advocated for glass as a sound alternative to plastic bottles due to its infinite recyclability
The SCC&TB and City of Sedona launched the Recycle by City website, which is linked to the Sedona Recycles website and is promoted to the nonprofit’s membership. The quiz section of the Recycle by City page has already achieved close to 1500 completions.