Phoenix, Arizona
Feedstock System Assessment
Phoenix routes ~2,200 TPD of addressable manufacturing feedstock to a single city-owned landfill as its Solid Waste Fund approaches insolvency.
What This Means
- Scale and structure. Phoenix generates an estimated 2,200 TPD (~803,000 TPY) of addressable manufacturing feedstock across five material streams. Every stream currently flows to disposal — none is subject to a thermal recovery or advanced circular manufacturing contract.
- Single-point dependency. All city-collected residential feedstock is routed through two city-owned transfer stations to the State Route 85 Landfill in Buckeye — a single city-owned facility with no publicly disclosed closure date, receiving approximately 3,500 TPD across all Phoenix metro inputs.
- Structural fiscal deterioration. The Phoenix Solid Waste Fund projects a budget shortfall of up to $20.8 million in FY2024-25, with the fund projected near zero by FY2027-28. A multi-year residential rate increase is proposed, effective July 1, 2026. No structural alternative to continued rate escalation has been identified within the current system.
- Full-system cost understatement. The verified transfer station disposal rate of $55 per ton reflects the direct gate charge only. Total system cost — incorporating haul to SR-85, landfill operations, environmental monitoring for five closed facilities, and accumulated regulatory liability — is estimated at approximately $105 per ton, a figure that rises with each year of deferred structural reform. ESTIMATED
- ACM capability is confirmed. Advanced Circular Manufacturing processes every material stream Phoenix generates. All access classifications in this assessment reflect contractual, logistical, or regulatory conditions — not technical limitations. The constraint is access, not capability.
- The Solid Waste Fund depletion timeline (FY2027-28) creates a hard-edged decision window: rate decisions going to City Council in April 2026 will set a multi-year cost trajectory that is effectively irreversible once embedded in service contracts and bond covenants.
- Phoenix's Zero Waste 2050 commitment requires diversion to increase from 33.3% to 50% by 2030 — a 17-point gap that cannot be closed by MRF expansion at current throughput and technology.
- The 19th Avenue Landfill Superfund site and five total closed landfills create a legacy environmental liability that does not diminish under continued conventional disposal — it accretes.
Feedstock Profile
§1.2 — Feedstock Volume by Stream
| Stream | Annual Volume (TPY) | Daily (TPD) | Current Disposition | Operator | Access Classification | ACM Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & Commercial MSW Post-MRF residuals from 420,000+ households and commercial accounts |
511,000 | 1,400 | SR-85 Landfill, Buckeye | City of Phoenix Public Works Dept — Solid Waste Division | IMMEDIATE | Initial |
| Organic / Green Waste Yard trimmings and food organics (separate collection routes) |
73,000 | 200 | 27th Ave Compost Facility (55,000 TPY capacity); overflow to landfill | City of Phoenix Public Works Dept | CONDITIONAL | Medium |
| Commercial & C&I Residuals Commercial, institutional, and light industrial residuals |
73,000 | 200 | Regional landfills (Republic Services / Waste Management of Arizona) | Republic Services; Waste Management of Arizona, Inc. | CONDITIONAL | Medium |
| Biosolids — Dewatered Cake Class A biosolids from 91st Ave and 23rd Ave WWTPs |
54,750 | 150 | Agricultural land application; some to beneficial reuse programs | City of Phoenix Water Services Dept (SROG) | CONDITIONAL | Expanded |
| Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) Non-metallic shredder fraction from Phoenix auto recycling yards |
18,250 | 50 | Special waste landfill disposal; some regional landfills under ADEQ permit | SA Recycling (Phoenix yards) | CONDITIONAL | Expanded |
| Total Addressable | 730,000 EST | 2,000 | Deployment target within 2,200 TPD total addressable universe | |||
Source: City of Phoenix Public Works Department; ADEQ transfer station and landfill directory; SA Recycling facility records; modeled estimates, March 2026. Access Classification reflects contractual and logistical conditions only — not capability limits. ESTIMATED badges denote modeled figures.
§1.3 — Primary ACM Feedstocks (Phase Initial Priority)
The residential and commercial MSW stream (1,400 TPD / 511,000 TPY) is classified IMMEDIATE because it flows through city-owned transfer stations under direct municipal authority — no third-party contract negotiation is required to redirect this stream. The City of Phoenix already hauls this material to its own landfill; redirecting to an ACM facility requires only a City Council authorization and a Circular Supply Agreement, not a new procurement from a private operator.
This single stream alone is sufficient to fully commission the Phase Initial deployment of 400 TPD. The 1,400 TPD IMMEDIATE stream provides more than three times Phase Initial capacity, confirming feedstock availability is not a constraint on deployment timeline.
§1.4 — Full Feedstock Capability Statement
Logistics and Infrastructure
§2.1 — Collection Network
Phoenix operates a hub-and-spoke feedstock logistics network serving more than 420,000 residential accounts across a 543-square-mile service area. Weekly curbside collection routes feed two strategic transfer points: the 27th Avenue Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility (south Phoenix) and the North Gateway Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility (north Phoenix at the I-17/SR-74 corridor). Both facilities are city-owned and operated by the City of Phoenix Public Works Department — Solid Waste Division.
At each transfer station, collected material is processed through an adjacent Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to separate recyclables (glass, paper, metal, cardboard, plastic) before compaction and haul. Recyclables are baled and sold. Residual feedstock — the non-diverted fraction — is loaded into transfer trailers for long-haul transport to the SR-85 Landfill in Buckeye, approximately 30 miles west of the southern transfer station and 55+ miles from the northern transfer station.
§2.2 — Haul Infrastructure
The haul corridor from Phoenix's transfer stations to SR-85 traverses urban and peri-urban freeway segments (I-10 west), with capacity constraints during peak hours. The Phoenix metro's rapid growth (one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States) continues to add route-miles between new residential areas and both transfer station collection zones. The northernmost collection zones (served by North Gateway) face haul distances exceeding 85 miles to SR-85.
Organic and green waste material is collected separately and routed to the 27th Avenue Compost Facility, co-located with the southern transfer station. The compost facility processes up to 55,000 TPY; volumes from the 73,000 TPY green organic stream exceed this capacity, with overflow directed to landfill disposal.
§2.3 — Third-Party Commercial Stream Logistics
Commercial and C&I feedstock streams in Phoenix are handled under contracts between commercial generators and private haulers — principally Republic Services (operating the Phoenix 7th Street Transfer Station and the Southwest Regional Landfill) and Waste Management of Arizona, Inc. (operating the Northwest Regional Landfill in Surprise). These streams do not flow through city transfer stations. Redirecting commercial streams requires contract negotiation with the hauler or the generator, creating a CONDITIONAL access classification.
Biosolids from the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant (operated by the City of Phoenix Water Services Department on behalf of the Sub-Regional Operating Group cities: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, and Tempe) are currently managed under an SROG disposition program including agricultural land application. Accessing this stream requires SROG coordination and ADEQ regulatory alignment — classified CONDITIONAL.
SA Recycling operates multiple auto recycling yards in Phoenix (S. 15th Ave, S. 19th Ave, S. 35th Ave, E. Broadway Rd). The automotive shredder residue (ASR) fraction — the non-metallic fluff — is currently disposed of as special waste under ADEQ permits. This stream is classified CONDITIONAL, requiring an ASR special waste handling agreement and coordination with SA Recycling's existing ADEQ disposal arrangements.
- The city-owned 27th Avenue complex (transfer station, MRF, and compost facility) and the Resource Innovation Campus on 27th Avenue represent an existing infrastructure concentration that strongly favors co-location of an ACM Phase Initial facility in the same corridor — eliminating haul cost and matching an existing feedstock convergence point.
- Every mile of growth between new residential developments and transfer stations increases haul cost. Deferring a co-located ACM deployment makes the logistics case stronger each year — but the fund deficit makes delay progressively more costly.
Cost Structure
§3.1 — Current System Cost Table
| Cost Element | Per-Ton Estimate | Annual (Residential Stream) | Source Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer station disposal rate (gate rate) | $55.00 | ~$28.1M | VER | City of Phoenix public transfer station rate schedule; applies to commercial loads |
| Haul to SR-85 Landfill (approx. 30–55 mi) | $18.00 EST | ~$9.2M | EST | Modeled from transfer trailer operating cost and fuel; distance-weighted average |
| SR-85 Landfill operations amortization | $12.00 EST | ~$6.1M | EST | Facility capital and post-closure reserve amortized over remaining service life (undisclosed) |
| Five closed landfill environmental monitoring | $10.00 EST | ~$5.1M | EST | CERCLA/WQARF obligations; 19th Avenue Superfund site ongoing monitoring and groundwater management |
| Administrative, regulatory compliance, rate management | $10.00 EST | ~$5.1M | EST | Solid Waste Fund overhead; reporting; permit fees; Solid Waste Rate Advisory Committee costs |
| Feedstock-Weighted Disposal Cost (FWDC) | $105.00 EST | ~$53.6M | MOD | Blended full-system cost; derivation disclosed. Transfer station gate rate alone does not represent full system cost. |
FWDC Derivation: Full-system blended cost, modeled. Gate rate component ($55/ton) is VERIFIED from Phoenix Public Works transfer station schedule (phoenix.gov). All other components are modeled estimates. Annual figures calculated on 511,000 TPY residential stream basis.
§3.2 — Current Operators (Verified, March 2026)
| Role | Current Operator | Verification Source |
|---|---|---|
| Primary landfill (SR-85) | City of Phoenix Public Works Department — Solid Waste Division | phoenix.gov/administration/departments/publicworks |
| Transfer stations and MRFs (27th Ave, North Gateway) | City of Phoenix Public Works Department — Solid Waste Division | phoenix.gov — transfer station pages, ADEQ waste transfer station list |
| Regional private landfill (Southwest Regional) | Republic Services (formerly Allied Waste Industries of Arizona, Inc.) | buckeyeaz.gov; ADEQ open landfills PDF |
| Regional private landfill (Northwest Regional) | Waste Management of Arizona, Inc. | ADEQ open landfills PDF; wm.com |
| WWTP operations (91st Ave — SROG; 23rd Ave) | City of Phoenix Water Services Department | phoenix.gov/waterservices; usbr.gov SROG documentation |
| Primary ASR generator (Phoenix yards) | SA Recycling (multiple Phoenix locations) | sarecycling.com; ADEQ waste tire collection site records |
| Compost facility | City of Phoenix Public Works Department — Solid Waste Division | phoenix.gov/publicworks/about-us |
§3.3 — Cost Trajectory (Three Mechanisms)
1. Rate escalation: The verified transfer station disposal rate of $55/ton is set to increase. Phoenix's Solid Waste Rate Advisory Committee reviewed a 2024 Cost-of-Service Model in October 2025; the resulting analysis concluded that current rates are insufficient to recover full costs. A multi-year rate increase is proposed, with City Council direction anticipated in April 2026 and a new rate structure targeting implementation from July 1, 2026. Each multi-year rate cycle embeds escalating cost into Phoenix's revenue base without structural improvement in feedstock disposition outcomes.
2. Capital reinvestment pressure: Phoenix's two transfer stations, two MRFs, the SR-85 Landfill, the compost facility, and fleet of over 600 Public Works vehicles represent depreciating infrastructure requiring continuous capital reinvestment. The Solid Waste Fund shortfall has already resulted in deferred vehicle replacements and infrastructure projects — creating a growing maintenance backlog that will require either accelerated future capital expenditure or reduced service quality.
3. Absence of competitive alternatives: Phoenix's city-owned system has no contracted alternative to SR-85 for large-volume disposal. In the absence of a structural alternative, every rate negotiation and cost pressure default to the same endpoint: higher charges to ratepayers and accelerated fund depletion. The SR-85 Landfill — whose remaining service life is not publicly disclosed — represents a single-point dependency with no disclosed succession plan.
- The April 2026 City Council rate direction will commit Phoenix to a multi-year rate escalation path. If a structural alternative (such as an ACM Circular Supply Agreement) is not contracted before that decision, ratepayers will absorb compounding increases without a corresponding improvement in feedstock outcomes or long-term fiscal position.
- The gap between the $55/ton gate rate and the $105/ton full-system FWDC is not a rounding error — it is a $50/ton structural undercharge that has been accumulating as fund depletion. Continuing to price at the gate rate while incurring full-system costs is the direct cause of the FY2027-28 insolvency trajectory.
Regulatory Baseline
§4.1 — Applicable Framework
Phoenix's solid waste system operates under Arizona Revised Statutes §49-701 et seq. (solid waste), enforced by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Waste Programs Division. Transfer stations, MRFs, and the SR-85 Landfill are permitted under ADEQ solid waste facility plans. The city operates under Maricopa County Environmental Health Code (Chapter 27, City Code for solid waste).
Phoenix's wastewater treatment operations are regulated under Clean Water Act National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, with biosolids management governed by EPA 40 CFR Part 503 (Class A beneficial reuse regulations). The Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG) 91st Avenue WWTP holds a joint NPDES permit for the SROG cities.
§4.1 — Hard Deadlines and Decision Windows
| Deadline / Milestone | Date / Window | Mechanism | Consequence if Missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Council rate direction | April 2026 | Solid Waste Rate Advisory Committee recommendation → City Council action | Multi-year rate escalation embedded without structural alternative; rate path locked for 3+ years |
| Proposed rate effective date | July 1, 2026 | Residential rate adjustment; requires City Council approval April 2026 | Without alternative, residential rates increase for three or more consecutive years |
| Solid Waste Fund depletion | FY2027-28 (projected) | Structural operating cost exceeds revenue; fund reserves consumed | Emergency borrowing, service level reduction, or emergency rate action required |
| Zero Waste 2050 — 50% diversion checkpoint | 2030 | Phoenix Climate Action Plan target; current rate 33.3% (FY2024-25) | Climate Action Plan target failure; 17-point diversion gap remains unaddressed |
| SR-85 Landfill remaining capacity | Not publicly disclosed DATA GAP | Landfill commenced operations January 2006 at ~3,500 TPD | If remaining life is under 20 years, capital planning for a post-SR-85 system is required now |
§4.3 — Environmental Compliance History
19th Avenue Landfill (Superfund — EPA NPL): This former city landfill was closed by ADEQ cease-and-desist in February 1979 and placed on the EPA National Priorities List in September 1983. The City of Phoenix is the responsible party. Active monitoring, groundwater management, and methane collection obligations continue under a Consent Order and CERCLA record of decision. The site remains in post-closure care with semi-annual groundwater monitoring reports submitted to ADEQ.
Five closed Phoenix landfills: Phoenix Public Works oversees five closed landfill sites in addition to the one active SR-85 Landfill. Long-term monitoring and post-closure obligations for these sites represent recurring costs without production value.
Maricopa County Cave Creek Landfill: Closed MSWLF under an ADEQ consent order. Soil vapor extraction (SVE) and a groundwater treatment system (GWTS) are installed and operating (extraction wells commissioned 2023-2024) to address TCE contamination. This is a Maricopa County obligation, not a City of Phoenix obligation — but it illustrates the region-wide legacy liability pattern from closed MSW landfill sites.
PFAS regulatory exposure: EPA's National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS (finalized April 2024) and the PFAS Superfund designation create escalating regulatory and remediation cost risk for biosolids management programs. The 91st Avenue WWTP's agricultural land application program for Class A biosolids faces future regulatory constraints as PFAS limits in biosolids tighten at the federal and state level.
§4.4 — Policy Alignment
Phoenix's Climate Action Plan and Zero Waste 2050 goal establish an explicit municipal commitment to eliminating landfill disposition of manufacturing feedstock. The current 33.3% diversion rate (FY2024-25) represents progress from a lower baseline but remains 16.7 percentage points below the 50% interim target and 66.7 percentage points below the 2050 Zero Waste endpoint. No currently funded program in Phoenix's Solid Waste Division is designed to close this gap on the required timeline.
Arizona has no state-level landfill ban, WTE mandate, or advanced circular manufacturing incentive program as of March 2026. Federal infrastructure funding (Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) includes provisions applicable to circular economy and advanced manufacturing deployments that could reduce project financing costs for the right instrument.
- The April 2026 rate direction creates a concrete, named Council authorization window. Any alternative disposal arrangement contracted before April 2026 City Council action can inform and potentially replace the need for a multi-year rate increase. A CSA signed after April 2026 must work against an already-locked rate structure.
- SR-85 Landfill remaining capacity is a material data gap. If its remaining life is under 20 years (consistent with a 3,500 TPD intake rate and typical design capacity), Phoenix requires a post-SR-85 plan regardless of ACM deployment. The absence of that plan is itself an unreported risk in the current budget model.
- Escalating PFAS biosolids regulations represent a discrete cost event for the SROG biosolids program — one that creates a separate, independently motivated need to redirect the 150 TPD biosolids stream to a technology capable of complete elemental elimination, which ACM provides.
Feedstock Opportunity
§5.1 — System-Wide Addressable Volume Summary
| Category | TPD | TPY | % of Addressable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total addressable manufacturing feedstock | 2,200 EST | 803,000 | 100% |
| Immediately accessible (IMMEDIATE classification) | 1,400 | 511,000 | 64% |
| Conditionally accessible (CONDITIONAL — requires contract negotiation) | 800 | 292,000 | 36% |
| Deployment target (Phase Expanded) | 2,000 | 730,000 | 91% |
§5.2 — Addressability Table
| Stream | TPY | TPD | Access Classification | Phase | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & Commercial MSW (post-MRF) | 511,000 | 1,400 | IMMEDIATE | Initial | City-owned transfer stations; municipal authority; no third-party contract required |
| Organic / Green Waste | 73,000 | 200 | CONDITIONAL | Medium | Compost facility contract amendment required; city authority — no private hauler negotiation |
| Commercial & C&I Residuals | 73,000 | 200 | CONDITIONAL | Medium | Private hauler contracts (Republic Services; Waste Management); individual contract negotiation |
| Biosolids — Dewatered Cake | 54,750 | 150 | CONDITIONAL | Expanded | SROG intergovernmental agreement; ADEQ regulatory coordination for land application contract modification |
| Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) | 18,250 | 50 | CONDITIONAL | Expanded | SA Recycling contract; ADEQ special waste classification coordination required |
| Total (Deployment Target) | 730,000 | 2,000 | Expanded | All streams confirmed processable by ACM |
Access Classification reflects contractual and logistical conditions only. ACM is capable of processing all streams listed. No stream is excluded on capability grounds. Volumes are estimated from City of Phoenix Public Works data, ADEQ records, and modeled estimates. ESTIMATED
§5.3 — Phase Configuration Preview
| Phase | TPD | TPY | Modules | Stream Basis | Negotiation Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase Initial | 400 | 146,000 | 4 | City MSW (IMMEDIATE stream only) | City Council authorization only |
| Phase Medium | 1,000 | 365,000 | 10 | City MSW + Organics + C&I Residuals | Compost facility contract amendment + commercial hauler outreach |
| Phase Expanded | 2,000 | 730,000 | 20 | All five streams | SROG biosolids agreement + SA Recycling ASR contract + Phase Medium streams |
Addressable Feedstock Volume by Stream
Feedstock Infrastructure Map
All active, regional, closed, and historical solid waste facilities serving the Phoenix metro are plotted below. Facility data verified March 2026 via ADEQ, phoenix.gov, and operator public records. Click a panel item to pan the map; click a map marker to highlight the panel entry.
Sources: City of Phoenix Public Works (phoenix.gov); ADEQ Waste Programs Division active landfill and transfer station directories (azdeq.gov, updated September–October 2025); SA Recycling facility records (sarecycling.com); ADEQ inactive landfill / Superfund site records. Operator names verified March 2026. Closed facilities documented in ADEQ regulatory records.
Evidence Chain
| Figure | Value | Public Source | Source Type | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households served | 420,000+ | City of Phoenix Public Works, About Public Works page, phoenix.gov | VER | High |
| Transfer station gate rate | $55.00/ton | City of Phoenix Transfer Station rate schedule, phoenix.gov | VER | High |
| SR-85 Landfill daily intake | ~3,500 TPD | City of Phoenix SR-85 Landfill page, phoenix.gov | VER | High |
| Solid Waste Fund shortfall FY2024-25 | Up to $20.8M | Phoenix City Council Policy Session Report, February 10, 2026, Item 2 | VER | High |
| Fund depletion projection | Near zero FY2027-28 | Phoenix City Council Policy Session Report, February 10, 2026 | VER | High |
| Waste diversion rate FY2024-25 | 33.3% | Phoenix Solid Waste Financial Status and Rate Update, February 2026 | VER | High |
| 91st Ave WWTP effluent capacity | ~150 MGD | USBR Phoenix Metropolitan Water Reclamation documentation; McCarthy Building Cos project record | VER | High |
| FWDC (full system) | $105/ton | Modeled: gate rate (VERIFIED) + haul + operations + enviro monitoring + admin components (all ESTIMATED) | MOD | Moderate — ESTIMATED |
| Residential MSW stream volume (1,400 TPD) | 511,000 TPY | Derived from SR-85 intake (~3,500 TPD metro) × Phoenix residential share (~40%) + transfer station public data | EST | Moderate |
| 19th Ave Landfill Superfund history | Closed 1979; NPL 1983 | ADEQ site history page, azdeq.gov/19th-avenue-landfill-site-history | VER | High |
| City landfill count (closed) | Five closed landfills | City of Phoenix Public Works About page, phoenix.gov | VER | High |
| SR-85 Landfill opening date | January 2006 | City of Phoenix SR-85 Landfill page, phoenix.gov | VER | High |
| Compost facility capacity | 55,000 TPY | City of Phoenix Public Works, 27th Ave Compost Facility, phoenix.gov | VER | High |
| Primary ASR operator | SA Recycling | sarecycling.com; ADEQ waste tire collection site records, azdeq.gov, September 2025 | VER | High |
Change Factors
The following factors would materially change the diagnostic findings of this assessment:
| Factor | Direction | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| SR-85 Landfill remaining capacity disclosure | ↑ Urgency | If remaining life is under 20 years, post-SR-85 planning is immediately required regardless of ACM deployment; FWDC trajectory steepens sharply as capacity narrows |
| Rate adjustment magnitude (April 2026) | ↑ or ↓ FWDC | A larger-than-projected rate increase would raise FWDC above $105/ton; a smaller increase confirms fund structural deficit and increases depletion velocity |
| Federal PFAS biosolids regulation tightening | ↑ Conditional stream cost | New EPA biosolids PFAS limits would elevate the cost of the current land application program, strengthening the economics of ACM as a PFAS-elimination alternative for the 91st Ave WWTP biosolids stream |
| Arizona state WTE or circular manufacturing incentive policy | ↑ ACM value | A state-level landfill diversion mandate or tax credit for advanced circular manufacturing would improve project economics and accelerate the decision window |
| Phoenix population growth rate | ↑ Volume | Phoenix's population (1,634,000 city proper; 4.9M metro) continues growing at one of the fastest rates of any large US city. Each percentage point of growth adds ~16,000 TPY to addressable feedstock volume, strengthening Phase Expanded economics |
| Commercial hauler contract expiry dates | ↓ Barrier for CONDITIONAL streams | If Republic Services or Waste Management commercial contracts expire in the 2026–2028 window, the CONDITIONAL classification for C&I streams could become IMMEDIATE at contract renewal |
Sources and References
- City of Phoenix Public Works Department — About Public Works page, phoenix.gov. Accessed March 2026. Covers transfer stations, MRFs, compost facility, closed landfills, SR-85 Landfill, and department overview.
- City of Phoenix — State Route 85 Landfill page, phoenix.gov. Accessed March 2026. Confirms January 2006 opening, ~3,500 TPD intake, city ownership, location at 28633 W Patterson Rd, Buckeye, AZ 85326.
- City of Phoenix — Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility page, phoenix.gov. Accessed March 2026. Confirms $55/ton gate rate, two transfer station locations, MRF operations, hub-and-spoke logistics.
- City of Phoenix — Solid Waste Financial Status and Rate Update, City Council Policy Session Report, Agenda Date: February 10, 2026, Item No. 2. Confirms $20.8M fund shortfall, FY2027-28 near-zero projection, 33.3% diversion rate, rate increase proposal, July 1, 2026 target date.
- City of Phoenix Water Services Department — Our Infrastructure page, phoenix.gov. Accessed March 2026. Confirms two wastewater treatment plants (23rd Ave, 91st Ave), service area 543 sq mi, 1.7M population served.
- Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG) / U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — Phoenix Metropolitan Water Reclamation and Reuse Project documentation. Confirms SROG composition (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe) and 91st Avenue WWTP ~150 MGD capacity.
- ADEQ Waste Programs Division — Arizona Open Landfills PDF (ADEQ, updated), azdeq.gov. Accessed March 2026. Confirms SR-85 (City of Phoenix), Northwest Regional (Waste Management of Arizona), Southwest Regional (Allied Waste Industries / Republic Services) as major Maricopa County MSWLF operators.
- ADEQ Waste Programs Division — Arizona Waste Transfer Stations List, azdeq.gov. Updated September 24, 2025. Confirms City of Phoenix 27th Ave Transfer Station and North Gateway Transfer Station operators and contact records. Confirms Republic Services operating Cave Creek and Paradise Waste Transfer Facilities.
- ADEQ — 19th Avenue Landfill Site History, azdeq.gov. Accessed March 2026. Confirms February 1979 closure, EPA NPL listing September 8, 1983, CERCLA and WQARF remediation history, ongoing monitoring obligations.
- ADEQ — Maricopa County Cave Creek Landfill Solid Waste Site, azdeq.gov. Updated July 6, 2025. Confirms closed MSWLF status, active ADEQ consent order, SVE system, GWTS Extraction Wells commissioned 2023-2024.
- City of Buckeye — Southwest Regional Landfill page, buckeyeaz.gov. Accessed March 2026. Confirms Republic Services as operator, location 24427 SR-85 Buckeye AZ 85326, ownership by Buckeye Pollution Control Corporation.
- SA Recycling — Facility pages for Phoenix S 15th Ave, S 19th Ave, S 35th Ave yards, sarecycling.com. Accessed March 2026. Confirms SA Recycling as primary ASR generator in Phoenix via multiple auto recycling yards.
- Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) — Solid Waste Management Facilities Summary 2017 (accessed for historical facility lifecycle data). Confirms Deer Valley Landfill and other closed facility classifications.
- Carbotura standard 400 TPD baseline parameters (employment, carbon impact, water recovery, energy output metrics) — scaled proportionally to Phase Initial (400 TPD), Phase Medium (1,000 TPD), and Phase Expanded (2,000 TPD) configurations.
Authoritative Glossary
This glossary is authoritative for the Carbotura document suite for Phoenix, Arizona. Terms defined here govern usage across all seven documents. The Circular Royalty™ structure is defined explicitly below.
- Advanced Circular Manufacturing (ACM)
- The Carbotura integrated process system that receives manufacturing feedstock through the Pregenesis™ Protocol and converts it into Circular Materials, ultrapure water, and energy through the Regenesis™ and Regenesis™ MAX™ Protocols. ACM produces no residual requiring landfill disposition.
- Access Classification
- A regulatory and logistical assessment of a feedstock stream's availability for ACM contracting. Values: IMMEDIATE (no contractual barrier — municipal authority sufficient); CONDITIONAL (requires contract negotiation, intergovernmental agreement, or regulatory coordination); ACCESSIBLE (viable with permitting or regulatory process). All classifications reflect access conditions only — not capability limits.
- Circular Supply Agreement (CSA)
- The long-term contractual arrangement (30-year standard term) between a municipal feedstock supplier and Carbotura governing feedstock delivery obligations, Beneficiation Fee payments, and Circular Royalty™ receipts. The CSA defines all material rights and obligations of both parties for the full contract term.
- Circular Royalty™
- A cash payment made by Carbotura to the feedstock supplier, calculated as a defined percentage of the Beneficiation Fee for corresponding prior months, subject to a 13-month payment lag. The Circular Royalty™ base rate is 120% of the current-year Beneficiation Fee per ton. The royalty rate escalates by +1 percentage point per year compounding. At steady state (Year 2 onward), the Circular Royalty™ per ton is designed to exceed the Beneficiation Fee per ton — the feedstock supplier receives more cash back than it paid in Beneficiation Fees for the corresponding period. Circular Royalty™ payments begin 13 months after the corresponding Beneficiation Fee payments and ramp to full run-rate on a rolling basis. Formula: Royalty(m+13) = TMC(m) × Royalty_Rate(m).
- Exogenesis™ Protocol
- The Carbotura Urban & Landfill Mining protocol for historic material recovery from capped or legacy disposal sites. Referenced by name and purpose only — operating parameters are proprietary.
- Feedstock-Weighted Disposal Cost (FWDC)
- The blended per-ton cost metric representing the current system's total cost per ton of manufacturing feedstock processed, including gate rates, transport, facility operations and amortization, environmental monitoring, and administrative costs. The FWDC forms the basis for Beneficiation Fee calculation under the Carbotura standard formula. Phoenix FWDC is estimated at $105/ton (MODELED/ESTIMATED basis — see Appendix A).
- Manufacturing Feedstock
- Any material stream delivered to an ACM facility for processing. Includes residential and commercial MSW, organics, biosolids, industrial residuals, ASR, and other material categories. The term replaces "waste" across all Carbotura documents — the material has manufacturing value, not disposal value.
- Phase Initial / Phase Medium / Phase Expanded
- The three deployment phases of the Phoenix ACM engagement: Phase Initial (400 TPD / 146,000 TPY / 4 modules); Phase Medium (1,000 TPD / 365,000 TPY / 10 modules); Phase Expanded (2,000 TPD / 730,000 TPY / 20 modules).
- Pregenesis™ Protocol
- The Carbotura feedstock intake, sorting, preparation, and conditioning process applied to all incoming manufacturing feedstock streams before conversion. Handles heterogeneous mixed streams. Referenced by name and purpose only.
- Regenesis™ Protocol
- The Carbotura primary feedstock conversion process including Feedstock Disintegration at temperatures exceeding 1,200°C, which enables complete elemental dissociation of PFAS and other persistent organic compounds. Referenced by name and purpose only.
- Regenesis™ MAX™ Protocol
- Advanced materials refining applied to specific feedstock fractions to maximize Circular Materials value and purity. Referenced by name and purpose only.
- Circular Materials
- Manufactured materials outputs from the ACM process, including recovered metals, glass, processed mineral fractions, organic chemical intermediates, and specialty manufactured goods sold to industrial end users. Circular Materials revenue is the primary source of the Circular Royalty™ cash flow paid back to the municipal feedstock supplier.
- SROG (Sub-Regional Operating Group)
- The intergovernmental partnership of City of Phoenix, City of Scottsdale, City of Glendale, City of Mesa, and City of Tempe that jointly owns and operates the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tolleson, Arizona.
- Beneficiation Fee
- The Total Material Conversion Fee — the Beneficiation Fee paid per ton by the feedstock supplier to Carbotura under a Circular Supply Agreement. The Beneficiation Fee is analogous to a disposal gate rate in the prior system but represents the price of manufacturing access rather than disposal. Phoenix Beneficiation Fee is set at $100/ton (Carbotura standard floor, calculated per formula: MAX($100, MIN($150, FWDC − $5)) applied to FWDC of $105/ton).
- Total Material Conversion (TMC)
- The complete processing of all accepted manufacturing feedstock streams with no residual stream requiring landfill disposition. The ACM facility achieves TMC through the integrated Pregenesis™, Regenesis™, and Regenesis™ MAX™ Protocols.
- GASB
- Governmental Accounting Standards Board — the applicable financial accounting standard for City of Phoenix municipal financial reporting. All fiscal impact figures in this document suite are prepared on a GASB basis.
- State A
- The current system baseline condition — Phoenix's disposal system as it exists today, before any ACM deployment. Used as the reference state for EIR delta model analysis.
- State B
- The projected system condition following ACM deployment under a Circular Supply Agreement. Used as the comparison state in the EIR delta model. State B values are defined exclusively by the Proposal EIR Input Block — not independently derived.