Press release from the City of Phoenix:

April 8, 2020

We realize that staying at home during a health crisis gives more time for families to do some deep spring cleaning and get of rid items you no longer need or haven't touched in months.

While the easy way to get rid of waste materials in your homes is to place them in your solid waste containers, it's important that the lids close securely. Our solid waste drivers are only going to collect materials that are securely placed inside the containers.

To avoid a health and safety hazard, we also require trash materials to be bagged and tied before placing them in the containers. Recyclable materials, however, should be unbagged, clean and dry.

If you have an increased amount of waste materials every week, here are some options for you to consider:

For clothes and small appliances – More and more people are organizing their closets during these stay-at-home protocols. If you're filling up bags with no-longer needed clothes and shoes in good condition, consider donating them to Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona. According to their website, their stores are closed due to COVID 19 protocols, but their donation centers are still open.

For large recyclable materials – Now's the time to get rid of that large box that contained the 75-inch TV you bought at a smokin' deal! But that won't fit in your blue recycling container, along with the other recyclables you already have. That's where our Eco Stations come in handy. Phoenix has provided eight Eco Stations, located in various parks throughout the city, that residents can use to dump their recyclables only (no trash please) for free. The Eco Stations accept paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass and hard plastics, and recycling rules apply: make sure their clean, dry and not bagged. For a list of Eco Station locations: https://www.phoenix.gov/publicworks/ECOstations.

For bulky trash items – So you've decided to chop down the tree that has been triggering your allergies. Thank goodness you checked the current bulk trash pick-up schedule so you can dispose of those tree parts properly and in a timely manner. Public Works offers quarterly bulk trash collection to residential residents. If waste materials do not fit your regular solid waste containers, this is a convenient option for many. For the latest schedule and bulk trash placement rules, visit https://www.phoenix.gov/publicworks/bulktrash.

For EXTRA bulky items – If you must get rid of that old sofa now to make room for the new one you just bought online, but scheduled bulk trash pick-up is two months away, there is another option. You will need a truck (or your friend's truck) and haul your old sofa to one of Phoenix's transfer stations https://www.phoenix.gov/transferstations. Residential customers receive a free disposal, up to one ton, every calendar month at a city-owned transfer station as part of their monthly fee. Residents must bring a current city services bill showing solid waste fees to receive the free service.

For hazardous materials and e-waste – Your kids have gone through a number of iPads and other tablets through the years and now you have a collection of non-working e-waste products you need to get rid of properly (but don't throw away that iconic Walkman). Although, Public Works has cancelled its Household Hazardous Waste events to be in line with social distancing protocols, we are offering two options to properly dispose of your e-waste and extra latex paint you have lying around. The drop-off alternatives are free to residential customers and information is available at https://www.phoenix.gov/publicworks/hhw.

For additional city services requests, please call the customer service line at 602-262-6251 or go online at phoenix.gov/atyourservice.