Citizens of the Phoenix metro area express confusion with the current recycling systems in place and the lack of standardization amongst them. For example, Phoenix accepts all types of glass, while nearby Mesa only accepts glass beverage containers. In addition, prices of waste services have increased by $7 for Phoenix community members due to the large recycling deal that took place between China and the U.S. in 2018. This deal meant China would tighten up on the recycled materials they would purchase and tighten the level of contamination they accepted. In turn, recycling became less profitable in the U.S., and the Phoenix public waste system was impacted.

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