Colorado Announces New Waste Diversion Goals to Step up Recycling Rates

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Colorado has announced new waste diversion goals in an attempt to boost the state’s recycling rate which currently stands well below the national average. By way of implementation of new goals, the state aims to match its recycling rate with that of the entire nation by 2026. Furthermore, it aims to achieve 45% diversion rate by 2035. It must be noted that Colorado currently has a low recycling rate of nearly 19% as compared with the national average of 35%.

Colorado’s new waste diversion goal focuses mainly on household and commercial waste. Industrial waste such as coal ash from power plants will not be the focus initially. As a first step, individuals and companies will be encouraged to recycle more and send as little waste as possible to landfills. In the second phase of the program, various initiatives will be launched to ensure better participation in composting and yard waste collection programs. As per estimates, Colorado dumps nearly $267 million worth of re-usable materials in landfills every year.

According to Wolf Kray, environment protection specialist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), municipalities currently don’t have big incentive to push recycling programs. The commodity prices play a key role as much of the waste needs to be exported out of the state. Fall in commodity prices could result in exporters being unable to cover even shipping costs. The low tipping fees at Colorado landfills too act as deterrent to recycling, Kray said. The efforts to step up recycling will bring in millions to state’s economy, Kray added.

Recently, national non-profit, The Recycling Partnership had joined hands with Denver Public Works to launch a pilot recycling program aimed at improving the city’s residential recycling rates. As part of the program, thorough education programs were launched on four pilot routes, focusing on techniques to improve the amount of recyclables, especially aluminum and steel cans, put in purple carts. Awareness messages were also propagated through social media and through mailers and signs.

The new state policy is expected to provide much-needed momentum to the state’s recycling and composting efforts. Meantime experts are of the opinion that lack of necessary recycling infrastructure in rural areas and weak recycling regulations in certain communities may continue to drag the new initiatives.