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Environmental Excellence Awards: Phoenix Circular Plastics Microfactory Wins Award of Distinction
The City of Phoenix’s Circular Plastics Microfactory was presented with the Award of Distinction at the 2025 Environmental Excellence Awards.
This remanufacturing facility converts plastic waste into new products, provides skilled job opportunities, and seeks to demonstrate a cooperative business model in Phoenix. The first-of-its-kind facility opened in February 2024 as a result of partnerships between the City of Phoenix, Arizona State University, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, and Hustle PHX.
The Phoenix facility currently takes sorted plastic waste from both Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona and the City of Phoenix and processes it into pellets or flakes which are then molded to create new products, ranging from furniture, to skateboards, to plastic lumber.
“Typically, recyclables collected in Phoenix are sorted, baled, and shipped off to processors and remanufacturers around the world,” said Phoenix’s Circular Economy Project Manager Amanda Jordan. “But the microfactory is unique because it has showcased the ability to create a localized circular economy, from collection all the way to new product creation, keeping materials and jobs in the region and helping to reduce environmental impacts from things like transportation or landfilling.”
The facility has already kept more than 550 tons of plastic out of the landfill since its opening.
About the Awards
The Environmental Excellence Awards, presented by Arizona Forward, spotlight Arizona’s most groundbreaking projects across a diverse array of categories, including Circular Economy Solutions, Climate Action Solutions, Healthy Communities, Art in Public Spaces, and more.
“The Environmental Excellence Awards have long been a symbol of Arizona’s commitment to sustainability,” said Lori Singleton, President and CEO of Arizona Forward. “Each year, we continue to be inspired by the remarkable projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in environmental stewardship and community impact.”
