Join Keep Tempe Beautiful at Tempe Zero Waste Day event, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at the Tempe Fire Training Center, 1340 E. University Drive (directly behind the Household Products Collection Center).
Zero Waste Day helps you recycle those items that cannot go into the blue recycling container. Clean out your attics, basements, closets, and garages of unwanted items and properly dispose of Household Hazardous Waste.
Must be a City of Tempe or Guadalupe resident. No need to sign up, just come on the date and during the times to drop off your stuff!
What We Take and Where It Goes
Tempe is committed to managing waste responsibly and works closely with its partners to ensure the material is diverted from the landfill and recycled or reused whenever possible.
The following items can be accepted on Zero Waste Day.
Food donations
Non-perishable, unopened food items including peanut butter, canned meats and soups, dried and canned beans, 100 percent fruit juices, boxed meals, canned vegetables and fruit, granola bars, whole wheat pasta, multi-grain cereals, oatmeal, and macaroni and cheese.
Food donations for most of the Zero Waste Day events will be collected by the Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA), a local nonprofit that houses Tempe’s largest food pantry and works to alleviate homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Another nonprofit in the Valley will collect non-perishable food at the November event.
Yard signs, banners, and foam boards
One-sided yard signs, one-sided canvas and vinyl banners, and foam board.
This material is repurposed and reused through Treasures 4 Teachers, a donation-based organization in Tempe serving teachers and other educators in Arizona.
CDs/CD cases, photographs, bottle caps, and misc.
Clean bottle caps (all types and sizes), plastic and compressed paper tubes (holds posters, maps, blueprints, etc.), CD and CD cases, broken jewelry pieces, miscellaneous crafting, art and sewing supplies*, greeting cards that can’t be recycled in city recycling containers due to adornments (ribbons, plastic, etc.), clean oatmeal containers and PringlesTM cans with lids only, corks, magnets, photographs, 35mm film containers and lab equipment.
Please but no broken glass: beakers, test tubes, funnels, Petri dishes, pipettes, vials, etc.
*Sewing supplies include zippers, buttons, or spools (empty or with thread).
This material is repurposed and reused through Treasures 4 Teachers, a donation-based organization in Tempe serving teachers and other educators in Arizona.
Paper for shredding
Office paper, mail, other personal paper documents, and books are in poor condition.
Documents are securely shredded and recycled offsite by ASDD Document Destruction, a branch of the Tempe nonprofit, the Centers for Habilitation, which provides support and opportunities for people with physical and developmental disabilities.
Building materials
Must be in good condition with no major repairs required. Kitchen and bath cabinets, doors, windows, shutters, toilets, sinks, vanities, garbage disposals, countertops, bricks, block, lumber (no nails/screws), grills, fountains, pool equipment, light fixtures, hardware items (hinges, lock sets, miscellaneous), and unpainted and undamaged drywall in at least two-foot by two-foot strips.
Materials are recycled and reused by Stardust Building Supplies, a nonprofit organization that operates two Valley thrift stores that sell salvaged and gently-used building materials.
Styrofoam
StyrofoamTM packaging blocks only. Unable to take egg cartons, cups, plates, trays, or peanuts.
The material is recycled by a local company in Maricopa County.
Clothing, furniture, and household items
Items should be in good condition. Clothing, shoes, purses, belts, bedding, towels, toys, stuffed animals, books, cooking accessories, furniture, home décor, housewares, jewelry, tools, musical instruments, and sports equipment.
All items are sold for reuse and recycled by Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona except large pieces of furniture (sofas, dining room tables, etc.), which are collected by Stardust Building Supplies.
Electronics and appliances
Working or non-working items are accepted. PCs, laptops, monitors, power cords, printers, cabling, mice, keyboards, hard drives, tablets, cell phones, DVDs, printer cartridges, calculators, stereos, VCRs, TVs, power strips, microwaves, washers/dryers, refrigerators, and freezers. Lawn mowers and other gas-powered items are okay as long as the gas is removed.
All electronic items are recycled by eGreen IT Solutions in Phoenix.
All appliances are collected by the City of Tempe Solid Waste Section and recycled at a local scrap metal company.
Some usable electronics and appliances are recycled by Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Pool chemicals, toilet bowl cleaner, drain cleaner, ammonia cleaner, spot cleaner, oven cleaner, copper cleaner, lye, insecticides, herbicides, latex paint, oil-based paints and stains, acetone (nail polish remover), paint thinners, glue, automotive oil, antifreeze, battery acid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, gasoline, lighter fluid, lubricants (WD-40), aerosol cans, soaps, waxes, perfume, adhesives, CFL bulbs, batteries, propane tanks, and over-the-counter medication.
Between 95 and 96 percent of the hazardous materials collected are reused or recycled locally, regionally, or nationally. Some products are redistributed to Tempe and Guadalupe residents for free at the Household Products Collection Center.
Bikes, repair stands, and bike parts
Second-hand bikes, new or used repair stands, and new or used bike parts including cables, pedals, brakes, seats, tires, and handlebars.
Collected bikes are donated to the Recycle-a-Bicycle program, a joint partnership with the City of Tempe Police Department, Fire Medical Rescue Department, Municipal Utilities Department, City Manager’s Office, and Tempe Elementary School District #3’s Gilliland Middle School. The program teaches students bike repair, maintenance, safety, and biking as a sustainable transportation mode and also fosters health, development, stewardship, and empowerment within its students.
Scrap metal
Copper wire and tubing, steel, aluminum, cast aluminum, brass, brass shells, and wire scrap.
The Scrap Metal Exchange currently recycles all scrap metal for the City of Tempe.
Automobile tires
Automobile tires are accepted. No bicycle or truck tires.
Tires are taken to the Southeast Waste Tire Collection Site run by the Maricopa County Waste Resources & Recycling Department and recycled into many items including crumb rubber, which is used in asphalt.