Surprise Landfill Fire Halts Glendale Recycling Processing

Waste Management Facility Fire Damages Recycling Infrastructure

Glendale residents should keep recycling, but the materials are being stockpiled while officials figure out what to do next.

A major landfill fire in Surprise has damaged the facility that Glendale uses to process single-stream recyclables. City officials say curbside recycling pickup will continue as normal, but the recyclable materials are now being held at a transfer station while Glendale seeks another processing option.

The issue stems from a fire at a Waste Management facility in the northwest Valley where Glendale sends all of its single-stream recyclables.

They had a significant fire, which damaged the entire facility, said Michael Carr, Glendale's deputy director for field operations. This is for our single stream recycling program that we collect at the curb.

Because the facility is out of service, Glendale's recycling operations are effectively on hold. City urges residents to keep recycling even though crews are still emptying recycling bins, the materials are not currently being taken to a recycling plant.

So what we really want to stress to residents is that your curbside recycling is not changing, said Carr. Just keep putting your recyclables out as you always have.

Carr said the city is stockpiling everything they are picking up while they figure out what to do next. We're confident that we're going to be able to continue processing the materials at the same level, but possibly a different location or obviously a different location and then through a different provider.

Waste Management is working on repairs to the facility. It is unclear when Glendale's recycling will return to normal.

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