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Metro Phoenix residents are struggling to navigate changing recycling programs across the Valley, leading to more contamination, less successful recycling and more landfill waste.

Why it matters: For every three pounds of waste in metro Phoenix, one is recycled and two end up in our landfills, according to Arizona State University sustainability professor Rajesh Buch.

Details: Each city in the Valley has its own recycling rules, and they often run counter to each other, causing confusion and improper recycling. For example:

What he's saying: "There's a lack of standardization from community to community, which makes it very confusing for us as residents to figure out what goes in the blue bin and what doesn't," Buch said.

Flashback: In 2018, China — the largest purchaser of recyclables from the U.S. — cut back on the types of recyclables it would purchase and heightened the level of contamination it would tolerate, making recycling significantly less profitable.

Those changes led many cities to cut back on recycling services, limit what they accept or hike trash rates for residents.

What's next: Buch is working with students at ASU's Circular Living Lab to find new ways to turn plastics into useful products.

Be smart: Use the Recycle Right Wizard to search what items are recyclable in your city.

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