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.
recycling
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: Instead of banning plastic bags, let’s invest in making plastic bags biodegradable
Paper bags have higher environmental costs than plastic.
Posted inEnvironment
Denver recycling already struggling before major strain of expansion, audit says
City Auditor cites major staffing gaps, aging truck fleet and other problems he says threaten rollout of pay-as-you-throw waste plan.
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 inOutdoors
Colorado gear merchants find untapped promise — and profit — in secondhand stuff
Shifting demand, overstocked stores and a surging focus on sustainability are setting up 2022 as the best year ever for the growing recommerce industry
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: Recycling would expand in Denver under ballot measure 306
Every Denver resident should have the option of recycling or composting no matter where they live, work or play
Posted inBusiness, Environment, News
Coloradans need somewhere to safely dump old computers and TVs. This new Denver service is trying to help.
Craig McNeal wrestles the Toshiba wall-mounted TV — once futuristic, now problematic — onto the recycling warehouse’s scale. While still wrangling it into position, he guesses: 60 pounds? The impassive scale reveals just how big is the challenge ahead: 64 pounds, to be precise, of obsolete plastic, metal and microchips that must be taken apart […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Governor should sign recycling bill to cut packaging waste in Colorado
Today, just 13% of plastic packaging in the U.S. gets recycled. In Colorado the situation is even more dire – a statewide recycling rate that is half the national average. That is unacceptable. As producers and users of packaging, we can play a leading role to boost recycling rates and keep recyclable materials out of […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Denver Council should approve proposed trash and composting program
Most of us have plenty to think about besides the impact our trash has on our local environment after we take it to the curb. But the urgency of climate change has been harder to ignore: The growing number of days over 100 degrees. The drought impacting our treasured mountain snowpack. The heat impacting our […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: The overly broad recycling bill on the governor’s desk deserves a veto
Lawmakers in Denver have advanced a bill to the Governor’s desk that would effectively shift the costs of recycling from local government to manufacturers, distributors, and everyday consumers. House Bill 22-1355, more commonly known as extended producer responsibility, or EPR, is not the right policy approach to bolster Colorado’s recycling efforts. We urge Gov. Polis […]