Circular Arizona announces 2026 award winners recognizing statewide circular economy leaders
Phoenix, Arizona — Circular Arizona proudly announces its 2026 award recipients, honoring individuals and organizations whose leadership, innovation, and measurable impact are accelerating Arizona’s transition to an equitable circular economy.
These awardees represent diverse sectors — from healthcare and municipal government to education, small business, and community-based creativity — demonstrating that circular solutions are possible at every scale.
Individual of the Year
Sibia Torres Padilla
Sibia Torres Padilla, widely known as “Sibster,” has significantly advanced circular economy principles by making reuse and upcycling accessible to a broad audience. Based in Queen Creek, she has cultivated a social media community of more than one million followers through more than 1,000 posts focused on low-waste, low-cost crafts and DIY projects.
Her content transforms commonly discarded items — such as milk cartons and household packaging — into functional, creative goods. By collaborating with local partners and consistently modeling practical reuse strategies, Sibia embeds circular thinking into everyday life. Her work makes sustainability approachable for families who may not otherwise have access to environmental education, demonstrating that circularity can be creative, affordable, and community-driven.
Large Business of the Year
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Mayo Clinic Arizona exemplifies institutional circular leadership within one of the most complex sectors — healthcare. Serving approximately 155,000 patients annually across its Phoenix and Scottsdale campuses, the nonprofit academic medical center has embedded sustainability across procurement, operations, facilities, and food systems.
Its initiatives include a robust commingled recycling program in partnership with the City of Phoenix, reusable sharps containers that significantly reduce waste sent to landfills and incinerators, FDA-approved reprocessing of select medical devices, and soft-plastic recovery pilots targeting blue wrap and shrink wrap from surgical materials. Unused medical supplies are redirected to humanitarian aid partners, while excess equipment is redistributed within secondary markets to extend product life cycles.
In food services, Mayo has implemented comprehensive measurement and diversion strategies, including off-site composting and on-site digesters, compostable packaging, and food waste reduction goals aligned with global climate commitments. Recognized nationally by Practice Greenhealth, Mayo Clinic Arizona demonstrates measurable, systems-level change, positioning it as a statewide and national sustainability leader.
Municipality of the Year
City of Flagstaff, Arizona
The City of Flagstaff continues to lead Arizona municipalities in advancing comprehensive circular systems. Through its ReThink Waste Plan, the City has committed to achieving zero waste by 2050 — defined as diverting at least 90% of materials from landfill.
Flagstaff provides automated curbside recycling, optional glass collection, food scrap drop-off, household hazardous waste programs, electronics recycling, and diversion opportunities for textiles, pumpkins, and holiday trees. The City also supports local circular-economy development through initiatives such as the Innovate Green Challenge, which has invested in composting infrastructure and local material-recovery enterprises.
By pairing policy, infrastructure, economic development, and community education, Flagstaff demonstrates how municipalities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, preserve landfill capacity, and create local jobs through circular material management.
Nonprofit of the Year
The Children's Museum of Phoenix
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix has embedded circularity into its core educational mission. Through exhibits such as Thing-a-ma-jig and immersive creative spaces built from salvaged and repurposed materials, the museum demonstrates that items often perceived as “waste” hold new value and possibilities.
Each month, thousands of children and families interact directly with upcycled materials in art rooms and hands-on exhibits, learning problem-solving, engineering skills, and resourcefulness through play. By modeling reuse within a trusted educational environment, the museum is shaping the next generation to see sustainability not as an abstract concept but as a practical, creative way of life.
School of the Year
Tucson Unified School District & UofA School Garden Workshop
Through a USDA-funded pilot program serving 11 schools, Tucson Unified School District, in partnership with the University of Arizona School Garden Workshop, has implemented a comprehensive composting initiative that reduces food waste while strengthening food literacy and garden education.
The program returns nutrients to the soil, supports district-wide climate action commitments to reduce emissions, and integrates sustainability directly into student learning environments. By combining infrastructure, education, and long-term climate goals, this collaboration demonstrates how schools can serve as living laboratories for circular systems.
Small Business of the Year
The Bra Recyclers
Founded in 2009 by Elaine Birks-Mitchell, The Bra Recyclers is a social enterprise dedicated to keeping reusable textiles out of landfills while restoring dignity to individuals and families in need. The organization has donated more than 4 million bras to more than 140 nonprofit organizations across 29 states and 8 countries.
In 2021, the launch of The Undie Chest expanded the organization’s mission to address hygiene poverty, distributing underwear to families and students at more than 60 Title I schools. By blending environmental stewardship with social equity, The Bra Recyclers demonstrates how circular business models can generate both material recovery and meaningful human impact.
Circular Arizona’s 2026 Lifetime Member Recognition
Alexis Yaple
Circular Arizona proudly recognizes Alexis Yaple with Lifetime Member status in honor of her four years of dedicated board service, including her role as Vice Chair.
During her tenure — including the period when the organization operated as the Arizona Recycling Coalition — Alexis played a pivotal role in strengthening governance, expanding partnerships, and elevating statewide engagement. She led planning efforts for the 2023 Symposium in partnership with Arizona SWANA, helping deepen collaboration across Arizona’s recycling and solid waste community.
Professionally, Alexis serves as a Project Manager with the City of Phoenix Public Works Department, where she previously spent more than seven years advancing zero-waste initiatives through education, program development, and operational leadership. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to building practical, scalable solutions within municipal systems.
Her leadership, dependability, and long-standing advocacy have left a lasting impact on Circular Arizona and the broader circular economy movement in Arizona.
“These awardees reflect the innovation, collaboration, and measurable outcomes necessary to build a more resilient and equitable circular economy in Arizona and beyond,” said Ryan Gurr, Circular Arizona Coordinator.
Award recipients were recognized at Circular Arizona’s Annual Meeting in Phoenix. A special thank you to Tyler Eglen and Arizona State University’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service for creating this year’s physical awards from recycled plastics.
Circular Arizona envisions an equitable circular economy for a sustainable Arizona. Learn more about our mission and programs at CircularArizona.org.
Media Contact:
Ryan Gurr
Circular Arizona
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