Nackard Pepsi announced during Earth Month that it has expanded its recycling and waste-diversion program, which has become one of Arizona’s most significant initiatives in this area.
The company, a beverage distributor serving Northern Arizona for more than 80 years, said it has recycled 620,000 pounds of material since 2024 through its backhauling program. This free service picks up recyclables from customers when delivering new products. The company said this approach ensures trucks are filled with recyclable products on return trips instead of running empty, diverting materials from local waste facilities. The recycled materials have a market value that helps offset the cost of the program, which includes five employees and paid interns earning credit through Northern Arizona University’s environmental science program.
Nackard Pepsi said part of the success comes from managing the program in-house and securing grants from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The most recent grant is enabling the company to extend its recycling resources to indigenous and lower income communities, including a new partnership with the Havasupai Tribe at the base of the Grand Canyon.
The distributor also reported expanding public drop sites at Orpheum and Skydome and partnering directly with cities such as Show Low to fill gaps where municipal recycling programs do not exist.
The company was named Green Business of the Year in 2025 by the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. Brynn Katz, Sustainability Operations Supervisor at Nackard Pepsi, was recognized as a Young Sustainability Leader Awards Finalist for Arizona Forward. According to Nackard Pepsi, these recognitions highlight both its multi-generational history and current leadership’s commitment to creating sustainability paths for future generations.
More information about these initiatives can be found on the organization’s website.
