The city of Phoenix will soon unveil new programs designed to increase the number of residents that partake in recycling. Lucas Mariacher, the zero-waste coordinator for the Phoenix Public Works Department, said the city is thinking of new ways to reduce waste.
âThereâs a lot of textiles â like our clothing â which is a problem,â he said. âSo weâre going to create a textile-recycling program.â
But thatâs not the only idea on the board. âWe have a compost facility opening up,â Mariacher said. âAbout 25 to 30 percent of whatâs in our waste stream is compostable materials.â
The city is also implementing a program called RecycleBank  that offers incentives to residents. âIf you sign up online, you get points based on what youâre recycling curbside,â Mariacher said. âYou also get points for reading articles and taking actions online. Then you can use those points in local restaurants, or for local gift cards, or even national rewards.â
Phoenix hopes to have about 40 percent of the city participating in recycling programs by 2040. It still has a long way to go to meet that goal.
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