Recyclable materials in Apache Junction soon to be sent to Valley site

By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

After emptying, cleaning and drying plastic, paper and metal products, Apache Junction residents paying for recyclables pickup can place their items in special bins.

The prep work prior to placing an object in the bin is important as food and liquid left in or on the items — such as grease from pizza on a cardboard box or orange juice in a plastic bottle — can contaminate what is to be recycled, according to a video at RecyclingSimplified.com. The website is owned by Republic Services, which in 2020 became the first and only sole-provider of trash and recycling for the city of Apache Junction.

Trucks pick up the recyclables Wednesdays from outside Apache Junction homes and the items are later transported to southern Arizona for processing to generate funds when there are domestic and international markets to sell recyclables to. That will soon change as Republic Services has a processing plant under construction north of Mesa that will be able to process the materials.

Recycling in Apache Junction

The city of Apache Junction has a sole-provider contract with Republic Services for solid waste, recycling and disposal services.

The City Council approved the contract in December 2019 for a term of March 2, 2020-Feb. 28, 2028 and up to two one-year extensions. Recyclable material is to comply with specifications provided by the contractor to meet quality thresholds for commodity markets and be free of contamination, it states.

While trash is picked up twice a week — on Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and Fridays — an additional recycling service is available for a fee that adds pickups on Wednesdays. Materials available for recycling are flattened cardboard, paper, metal cans, and plastic bottles and jugs, according to the city’s website.

The items to be recycled need to be empty, clean and dry before being placed in the bin taken curbside for pickup. After they are taken away in trucks they will be transported to Tucson for processing, according to a Republic Services of East Phoenix statement in response to questions.

“Republic Services is currently processing recyclables from Apache Junction at our Tucson Recycling Facility. Later this year, Republic Services will be opening the new, state-of-the-art (Salt) River Recycling Center. The 51,000-square-foot (Salt) River Recycling facility is being constructed to replace the previous one destroyed in a 2019 fire,” according to Republic Service of East Phoenix.

“Republic Services encourage residents to educate themselves on recycling best practices so we can all do our part to help create a more sustainable world now and for future generations. RecyclingSimplified.com is an excellent resource to learn more about proper recycling,” it states.

Republic Services handles billing, account maintenance and questions regarding trash, landfill or bulk pickup, at 602-237-2078, according to the city of Apache Junction’s website.

For additional information, Apache Junction residents can contact Jenny Hoffman, management analyst for the city manager’s office, at 480-474-5483 or jhoffman@apachejunctionaz.gov.

“Typically, the questions I receive about recycling are from those outside of the city contract. This includes those who live in RV parks, mobile home parks and commercial areas,” she said. “The most common question I receive is asking if there is a city-provided recycling bin, where residents from outside the contract can drop off their recyclables. At this time, there is no such bin, and I direct them to the numerous recycling facilities within the community. I always recommend that they call the facility first, to ensure they accept their type of recyclable, before they drive there to drop off.”

Sometimes Hoffman receives questions about where to drop off hazardous items such as batteries, motor oil, etc.

“The answer would be that the city offers two free Household Hazardous Waste events per year. The next event is March 4 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. held at our Public Works Yard at 575 E. Baseline Ave. If you have any questions regarding this event, please reach out to Heather Hodgman at 480-474-8500,” she said.

Reports of an imperfect system

Apache Junction City Councilmember Bryan Soller has fielded questions from residents including complaints from those who would prefer once-a-week trash and once-a-week recycling pickups.

“(M)ost do not feel they need two trash pick ups a week. The best solution would be one day trash, one day recycle. Second they believe having to pay extra for recycling is not right. Many of them were paying the extra because they believe in recycling, but that was short-lived. Numerous times their recycling cans were not picked up,” he said.

“The citizen would call and they would come on trash pick up day and put it in with trash, which was observed by many neighbors. One day my wife, Nita, saw this and went to talk to the driver; he tried to say the truck was a dual truck for both. Nita told him she didn’t believe that. He then proceeded to tell her that his supervisor was on the phone and said the truck was already contaminated. Nita told him again that was not right, we are paying for recycling and it is not being done. The driver drove away and did not pick up our trash,” Soller said.

That’s when the Sollers had Republic Services cancel their recycling service pickups, he said.

“Nita called Republic and relayed what happened and we — along with our neighbors — all canceled our recycling pick up. Why pay for something that is not being done?” Bryan Soller asked.

Prior to being elected to the City Council in 2022, Councilmember Soller had spoken against Republic Services being the sole solid waste and recycling provider, he said.

“Many residents went to the council meeting to protest the city using Republic — us being one of them. We used them when we first moved and service was horrible so we switched to (Right Away Disposal), which we had no trouble with. A lot of residences want only a one-day trash and one-day recycling a week. I am also on nextdoor.com and there are always complaints about missed pick ups with Republic. AJ Council should revisit the contract to ensure it is being followed while looking (at) changing it to only one day trash and one day recycling a week,” he said.

Other recycling providers

In Gold Canyon and other unincorporated Pinal County areas near Apache Junction, residents seeking recycling services singly or as part of contracts with homeowners associations contract with area businesses.

Cindy Duntley of Gold Canyon contracts with Waste Connections of Arizona, doing business as Right Away Disposal, which collects trash and, for a fee, allows recycling of metal, plastics and paper.

She would prefer glass was also recycled.

“All of the recycling is placed in the same bin and picked up once a week by RAD; we pay additional fees for this service which feels a bit incomplete,” she said. “Having moved here from the (Pacific Northwest), I was used to recycling glass — always. It was really the first recyclable material; I remember collecting bottles from the ditch alongside the road to turn in for the deposit. That makes sense to me since glass is the stuff that takes forever to break down in the landfill.”

In the Pacific Northwest when she recycled, items were commingled in the bin and at other times they were sorted first, she said.

“Specifically, Vashon Island — we sorted; and Port Orchard — all in one bin. I believe it was the practice to recycle glass in most — probably all — communities,” Duntley said.

Waste Connections officials did not respond to emails sent in December and February on why the business does not accept glass for residential recycling and if there is a nearby transfer station or drop-off spot for residents who could like to recycle glass.

Duntley recalled receiving a response from a RAD official about her concerns on the business not accepting glass.

“The person from RAD that responded to my email indicated that they had not recycled glass for ‘a couple of years.’ I don’t know how they did it at that time, yet can’t do it now,” she said.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.