The Sustainability Office works to make Flagstaff a leader in waste prevention and recycling. Guiding our efforts is the Rethink Waste Plan, which contains the following goals:
- Achieve zero waste conditions by 2050. This would mean diverting 90% of the material produced in Flagstaff from the landfill.
- Reduce overall waste generation.
- Reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Flagstaff's waste and material consumption.
- Increase participation in waste and recycling services.
The Rethink Waste Plan outlines multiple initiatives in the near term to get Flagstaff on track to achieving these goals. You can read a summary of the goals and initiatives (PDF) or the entire plan (PDF) here.
Achieving Goals
In order to achieve these goals, the City of Flagstaff is rethinking how we deal with waste and shifting from an emphasis on recycling to a framework that prioritizes preventing waste at its source and reducing the impacts of our consumption, most of which occurs prior to its arrival to Flagstaff. This new framework is known as sustainable materials management. For a deeper explanation of this decision making framework and possible actions, visit the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management page.
Taking charge of Flagstaff's waste and material consumption will not only help the community conserve resources, but recycling and preventing waste can actually be an effective way to reduce Flagstaff's climate impacts.