The state remains stuck at 16% reuse, only half the national average, but new laws on plastic bags and Styrofoam containers may boost efforts
Eco-Cycle
Posted inEnvironment
How to make the right ethical decisions when recycling and reusing as Colorado pushes for clean energy
We asked recycling and reuse experts to take on a reader’s dilemma about retiring perfectly good fossil fuel-powered machinery.
Posted inEnvironment
How will Colorado’s new bag fee impact your life? Just look to the cities that already have bag charges.
As the state follows many local communities with a 10-cent plastic fee on Jan. 1, and a ban in 2024, conservationists count up the benefits.
Posted inEnvironment
Colorado researchers created a new way to recycle plastics. But some question if it’s the right next step.
University of Colorado researchers found an emission-free way to turn end-of-life plastics into resins used commonly in the electronic, automobile and aerospace industries
Posted inEnvironment
Colorado prepares to “mine” key materials from the recycling bin ahead of new law taking effect in 2026
New laws are set to move the needle on the state’s “abysmal” recycling rate of only 16%, advocates and industry leaders say
Posted inEnvironment, News
Denver wants a major recycling expansion. But it needs to start charging fees to get it done.
Denver residents would pay a monthly fee for garbage hauling while getting recycling and compost bins picked up weekly as part of the deal, in a proposed major overhaul of waste handling aimed at lifting local and statewide recycling rates closer to the national average. Residents of single-family homes and apartments up to seven units […]
Posted inNews
Advocates want to charge companies to create a statewide recycling program in Colorado
State Sen. Kevin Priola had his recycling epiphany while staring at an empty pizza box. The grease stains on the lid spelled it out for the Henderson Republican: Colorado recycles only about 15% of its waste because recycling is too hard. Even a dedicated recycler like Priola was surprised to learn that cardboard with food […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, News
Colorado has a dismal recycling rate. Could a fee on manufacturers turn things around?
In Boulder, where every resident automatically receives access to recycling and composting services, more than half of the city’s waste is diverted from landfills. But in many Colorado cities and towns, residents who want to recycle must pay extra, or make a trip to recycling centers. The discrepancy between the relative ease of recycling in […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Environment, News
Glass can be recycled infinitely. Here’s how it works in Colorado’s “closed loop.”
The life cycle of a glass bottle — from creation to use to disposal to reconstitution — can all happen within Colorado, and theoretically continue forever. Glass that’s been recycled first goes to a material recycling facility, such as Eco-Cycle or GFL Environmental, along with paper, plastic, aluminum and everything else in the single-stream recycling […]
Posted inBusiness, Climate, Environment, News
Colorado will likely miss its recycling goals again this year. What will it take to change the tide of waste?
Colorado is struggling to improve its stagnant waste-diversion rates, and environmental advocates say making progress is crucial in the effort to battle climate change and the effects of population growth. The state diverted just under 16% of its waste to recycling or compost in 2019, down from a 17% diversion rate in 2018 and well […]