Why Recycling Is Failing in Rural Arizona — and a New Model to Fix It

Why recycling is failing in rural Arizona — and a new model to fix it

Betty Poynter stops her mountain bike mid-ride near Sierra Vista, hops off, and starts collecting aluminum cans scattered along the trail. Later, she’ll drive these to a local drop-off point and other recyclables to a collection bin 30 miles away.

Why recycling is failing in rural Arizona — and a new model to fix it - AZ Luminaria

Betty Poynter stops her mountain bike mid-ride near Sierra Vista, hops off, and starts collecting aluminum cans scattered along the trail. Later, she’ll drive these to a local drop-off point and other recyclables to a collection bin 30 miles away. It’s a small act that reflects a much larger problem: Recycling programs don’t work for many small towns any more. Places like Sierra Vista and Patagonia had to give up their recycling programs entirel…