Dive Brief:

• The state of Arizona adopted legislation, SB 1187, that will serve to require fair competition between municipalities and private waste and recycling firms statewide. 
• The law widens previous legislation, passed in 2000, that mandates municipalities that haul waste outside of their jurisdiction to pay fees on revenue comparable with taxes that private businesses pay.
• The new law requires cities and towns providing waste services outside of its boundaries, to contribute to all state, city, county, and other taxing districts the same as the taxes paid by private haulers that do the same work.

Dive Insight:

The Arizona chapter of the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) was an integral proponent of both the new bill and the previous law, and led efforts to establish both pieces of legislation. 

Chris Coyle, the chairman of the Arizona chapter said, “This bill will now fully assure a level playing field when public sector operators chose to compete outside their political jurisdiction with the private sector.”