Waste Not Rot Not: Landscaping in Tucson, AZ

Abstract

Tucson, Arizona’s population has grown quickly in the past few decades, causing the existing population to demand more from Tucson’s aging infrastructure, particularly in the realm of green (vegetative) waste disposal. For the Los Reales Sustainability Campus, the site that houses Tucson’s largest (and Arizona’s 3rd largest) landfill, one reaction to this demand has been to invest in different waste diversion programs, such as green waste, to keep reusable materials out of its landfill. However, the success of these programs relies heavily upon their use by those who have the greatest potential to divert vegetative waste: local landscaping firms. For this reason, this research assesses the barriers to green waste diversion according to Tucson landscaping firms of different sizes in order to determine trends in current green waste disposal as well as commercial behaviors towards green waste diversion. A qualitative analysis of four landscaping companies in Tucson, AZ revealed that the greatest barrier to green waste diversion was the cost of waste diversion and the inability to ensure a 100% green load as required by most green waste diversion programs. Customer preference plays a significant role in deciding the disposal business model and its capacity to change, primarily because most customers prioritize cutting costs over promoting sustainability.