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Zero Waste Businesses

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What is a Zero Waste Business?

A Zero Waste Business is a business with a waste diversion model that can help Phoenix Public Works gather data on the reuse, recycling, or composting of items that would otherwise have ended up in the landfill. In exchange for helpful, quantifiable diversion data, Public Works can offer creative ways to promote the organization's business model as part of our public outreach and education.

NEW: A Case Study in Food Waste Diversion

Mill and R.City, through a Zero Waste Business Agreement with the City of Phoenix, completed a residential food recycling pilot program that diverted more than 440 tons of food waste.

Read the full case study
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Interested in Becoming a Zero Waste Business?

Tell us a bit about your business so we can get the conversation started.

Apply today!
A tight shot of dozens of crumpled, plastic grocery bags of various colors

Current Zero Waste Business Agreements

A white box truck with blue lettering that reads 'Westech Recyclers' is backed up to a loading dock on a sunny day.

Westech Recyclers

Westech Recyclers has been protecting the local Arizona environment by recycling electronic waste and keeping it out of landfills for more than 25 years. They are one of the oldest and largest electronics recyclers in the Southwest with more than 3,000 commercial and government customers nationwide. They process over 5 million pounds of electronics (including batteries) annually.

Learn about Westech's services
Various furniture items on the floor of the Stardust warehouse

Stardust

Stardust is a 501 c(3) charitable organization that provides deconstruction services to gently remove usable materials in preparation for remodeling or prior to demolition. Stardust also accepts donations of working appliances, furniture, flooring, and other building materials.

Donate to Stardust
A trash bag stuffed full of other plastic bags sits on a front porch. The bag has the logo for Recyclops -- a green cartoon cyclops with yellow horns.

Recyclops

Recyclops helps Phoenicians recycle plastic bags, films, and other soft plastics with a convenient, subscription-based doorstep collection program. First-time subscribers can get one month free!

Sign up for Recyclops
A woman slides food scraps from a cutting board into a kitchen food recycler -- a white bin about the size of a standard kitchen trash can.

Mill and R.City

Mill recycles food scraps through state-of-the-art food recyclers that dehydrate and grind food overnight so it can be used as compost at local farms. Under a subscription-based model, they team up with R.City to collect the food grounds from your kitchen device monthly, and in return you'll have access to either farm-fresh produce or your own bag of compost.

Check out Mill's and R.City's food waste diversion case study from their pilot program.

Sign up for Mill

Looking for our Green Business Leader Program?

How are Green Business Leaders different from Zero Waste Business Agreements?

While a business may be involved in both programs, each program has different sustainability goals.

A blue, green, and white chart showing the difference between a Green Business Leader and a Zero Waste Business. GBL Completes at least 15 sustainable workplace actions Can earn higher certification level for more actions Has checklist items confirmed on-site by Zero Waste Team member Focuses on sustainability in transportation, water conservation, energy reduction/generation and other overall sustainable practices Has access to Public Works staff for workplace trainings/presentations Invited to annual recognition event with 100+ Green Business Leaders Zero Waste Business Has a business model that operates within the waste diversion space Collects regular data related to diversion, whether through recycling, reuse, composting, or other methods Creates a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Phoenix to share diversion data in exchange for creative promotional opportunities.