Colorado would have a statewide recycling program funded by fees charged to companies that produce packaging under a bill passed by the legislature Wednesday. Gov. Jared Polis is expected to sign House Bill 1355 into law. The fees would be used to provide recycling services to most communities and residents across Colorado in the hopes […]
recycling
Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Politics and Government
Denver wants to start charging for garbage pickup by volume. Residents have questions.
Some of Stacie Gilmore’s northeast Denver constituents may be fans of city plans to turn recycling and composting into a universal weekly proposition, and charge fees for garbage by volume. But others have some big questions. Can the city place a lien on homes that don’t pay the monthly fee for a garbage bin, which […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: To encourage recycling, you need someone to buy recycled materials
Among my great joys is an annual pilgrimage to the trout streams of Colorado. Last summer, the rivers were low, and fishing restrictions were in place to not further stress the fish. While walking the banks of the Roaring Fork, worrying about what climate change will mean for my favorite pastime, I found another unpleasant […]
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 inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado is pretty lame when it comes to recycling, actually
Our wonderful state of Colorado is filled with snow-covered peaks, rushing rivers, hiking trails filled with eager outdoor enthusiasts, and . . . some of the lowest recycling rates in the nation. Yes, counter to our green reputation, Coloradans recycle only 15% of our waste, less than half the national rate of 32%, and far […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Energy, Environment, News
Pueblo’s steel mill is an American success story. And it’s owned by Russians.
The story of Pueblo’s steel mill is steeped in the lore of American industry, from its rise backed by ingenuity and perseverance to its near demise at the hands of foreign competition. The mill has risen again in recent years, modernizing operations and winning back business from overseas rivals — with the help of its […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Colorado wants to reduce plastic waste. Here are all the ways it’s happening.
Advocates of the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle are piling up small victories in Colorado with a series of consumer fees and opt-in requirements that now reach into your kitchen junk drawer. The latest win for the movement is Denver’s “Skip the Stuff” ordinance, requiring consumers to ask for — or affirmatively accept when asked […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Colorado concert halls and ski areas are tossing one-time plastic cups
Next time you’re out listening to live music in metro Denver, and you take that last swig of tasty beverage while thinking about an encore, take a look at the cup before tossing it carelessly on the floor. At some of the most popular concert venues around the city, the throwaway plastic that littered dance […]
Posted inClimate, Environment, News
Colorado’s trash bins are so full they’re fa-la-lalling over. Here’s why.
If it seems there is more cardboard and wrapping paper spilling out of your neighbors’ recycling bins in the next week, it’s not just confirmation bias for our assumptions about the excess of the holidays. It’s science. By about 23%. Household waste increases by nearly a quarter nationwide between Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to studies […]