Cities and Towns

Phoenix worked together with the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance (AFMA) and retailers to create a common logo and slogan among the grocery stores in the city of Phoenix. The “Bag Central Station – where plastic bags belong” logo is used to raise awareness on the issue and proper disposal of plastic bags. The plan has six elements:

1. Recycling containers – Most retail establishments have placed recycling containers for recycling plastic bags in a prominent location within their store. This was done without mandates or ordinances.
2. Reduce, reuse, recycle message on bags – The partners agreed that a message on each bag was important and that more than the current standard “This bag is recyclable” was needed.
3. Education and marketing partnership – The City of Phoenix committed to education and advertising on plastic bag recycling programs using its outreach methods including municipal services bill insert NOTES, CityPage, Channel 11 and “Recycling Changes Everything” associated school and neighborhood events.
4. Reusable carry out bags – The city of Phoenix has purchased its own reusable bags and is working with various retailers for distribution at different events. The retailers have also committed the availability of reusable bags at their sites.
5. Effectiveness measurements – The city of Phoenix has committed to measuring effectiveness through monitoring the volume of film plastic bags at the City’s transfer stations and its recycling material recovery facilities. The retail community has committed to monitoring the volume in the recycling containers in select retail establishments.
6. Community input – The Public Works Department uses its Quarterly Customer Service Survey process to incorporate plastic bag recycling questions to gather community input into the process and determine education effectiveness. Retailers have committed to monitor complaints and/or praise concerning the plastic bag recycling programs

Unique and Different

Plastic Bags are not unique to Phoenix. The challenges of plastic bags in recycling programs are also not unique. However, the approach to addressing the problem is. Phoenix did not ban bags and it did not mandate recycling. It did however use a partnership with the private sector to create a convenient, efficient and effective method for recycling bags for its residents and customers. Phoenix wants to share what it has learned and to help others facing the same issues and is happy to provide assistance in developing this program. Join Us