On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, the Phoenix Public Works Department launched their digital education webpage,
Recycle+ [phoenix.gov/RecyclePlus] focused on teaching school-aged children and adults about recycling and waste diversion.
The webpage was developed by the department's
Zero Waste team, dedicated to delivering recycling education and community outreach to Phoenix residents.
“Public Works values community engagement even with the current social distancing guidelines," said Ginger Spencer, Public Works director. “Recycle+ is one way we are adapting to the new norms to keep connecting with Phoenix residents and continue our recycling education strategy to achieve a
40% waste diversion rate by the end of 2020."
Recycle+ features resources, activities and
even contests about recycling and sustainability that typically would be presented during a traditional in-person presentation. It also includes the Recycle Right Wizard, a desktop app that takes the guesswork out of recycling by indicating whether a certain material is recyclable or not. A video tour of the city's recycling center or Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) can also be accessed from that page to temporarily replace the usual free in-person tours.
With the rest of the school year suspended, the Recycle+ webpage can be a supplement to children's homeschooling activities or may provide 15 minutes of free time for parents. The Zero Waste team will continue to add new content to the page, including webinar presentations, informational videos and recycling or composting quizzes.
Educational outreach is one of the three pillars of Phoenix's Reimagine Phoenix initiative to increase recycling and reach a 40% waste diversion rate by the end of 2020, and become a zero waste city by the year 2050. As of July 2019, Phoenix's waste diversion rate is at 36%, which is above the national average (34%).
