Open your kitchen drawer—the one stuffed with plastic forks, soy sauce packets, and stray napkins. You didn’t ask for them and didn’t need them—but throwing them away felt like a waste, so there they sit. 

Now multiply that drawer by millions of households.

When you order takeout, the default is that utensils, straws, condiment packets, and napkins are automatically included, whether you need them or not. In the United States, restaurants distribute nearly 1 trillion single-use food service items every year, costing the industry an estimated $24 billion annually. 

Meanwhile, a significant portion of those items go straight from the take-out bag to be stored in a drawer or thrown in the trash. 

A new proposed bill, Senate Bill 26-146, would make single-use items available by request only, cutting costs, reducing trash, and giving customers more choice.

 Ask your state senator to support this bill—it takes less than one minute!

A Simple Shift with Big Impact

Senate Bill 26-146 offers a straightforward solution: instead of automatically including single-use items with every order, restaurants would provide them only upon request.

Single-use items are resource-intensive from start to finish—requiring oil, gas, trees, water, and energy to produce and transport, only to be used for minutes (if at all). This common-sense policy tackles that waste at the source while delivering real benefits:

• For businesses: Lower supply costs and less wasted inventory—often saving hundreds to thousands of dollars annually
• For customers: Fewer unwanted items and more choice and control over what you receive
• For communities: Reduced litter and an estimated $1 billion in taxpayer savings on cleanup costs
• For the environment: Less waste, less pollution, fewer resources used, and cleaner recycling and composting systems

It also builds on policies already working in other states and Colorado communities—helping make “by request only” the new normal statewide.

Take Action in Under One Minute

If passed, SB26-146 would align everyday systems with common sense: If you need it, you can still get it. If you don’t, it won’t go to waste.

If you believe takeout shouldn’t come with a side of waste, take a moment to tell your state senator to support SB26-146!

Thank you for taking one small action that helps shift a much bigger system!

The post Skip the Stuff: A Small Shift That Solves a Big Waste Problem appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

This Earth Month (which begins today!) there’s something new to celebrate! Eco-Cycle—marking its fiftieth anniversary this year—has teamed up with the City of Boulder to launch the Reuse Hub for Boulder and Beyond, a powerful new online platform designed to make reuse, refill, and repair easier than ever—from Fort Collins to Boulder County, and down to Denver and Colorado Springs.

It’s your go-to guide for all things reuse—and saving money while you’re at it!

A Fresh Tool for a Growing Movement

The United States represents just 5% of the world’s population but consumes about 25% of its natural resources. Our current “take-make-waste” system extracts materials, turns them into short-lived products, and discards them—wasting resources, energy, water, and economic opportunity.

Reuse is the next frontier of circularity. By switching from disposable products to reusables, we can create a new system of refill and return—keeping materials in use longer, reducing pollution, supporting local jobs, and often saving money. 

For Shoppers: Find Refill Groceries, Repair Services, Thrift Shops, Secondhand Stores, Used Furniture and More

At the heart of the platform is the Routes to Reuse Map, an interactive, searchable tool that helps you quickly answer a simple question: Where can I reuse, refill, repair, or share—right now?

The Routes to Reuse Map connects you to hundreds of options, including:

• Refill and Zero Waste grocery stores
• Secondhand shops and creative reuse centers
• Gear repair and outdoor reuse services
• Home and building material reuse outlets
• Online reused product platforms
• Repair services and community sharing networks

Whether you’re looking to fix a broken item, restock your pantry without packaging, or shop secondhand, the Routes to Reuse Map makes it easy to find what you need.

For Reuse Businesses: Leading the Way

The Reuse Hub isn’t just for shoppers—it’s also a free resource for businesses. Restaurants, retailers, and service providers can join the Reuse Hub Business Network at no cost, and gain:

• Visibility on the Routes to Reuse Map
• Access to incentives and technical support
• Connections to other reuse-focused businesses
• Tools to help communicate reuse options to customers

The Hub also helps businesses understand, and communicate to customers, that reuse is already supported under Colorado’s food code, including allowing customer-provided containers for leftovers and reusable drink vessels.

Built on Fifty Years of Partnership

This launch builds on a longstanding collaboration between Eco-Cycle and the City of Boulder. Over the past five decades, our partnership has helped make Boulder a national leader in Zero Waste—from rolling out one of the first curbside recycling programs in the country to the creation of the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials. The Reuse Hub is the next chapter—one that expands that leadership across the entire region.

Start Exploring Today!

The Reuse Hub for Boulder and Beyond is live! Explore the map, discover local reuse options, and start building reuse into your daily routine. And if you know a business that should be included, you can submit your suggestions directly through the Hub.

This Earth Month, reuse just became easier than ever!

The post Eco-Cycle and the City of Boulder Launch a New Online Reuse Hub for Earth Month appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

In Boulder County, many of the solutions we may take for granted now—such as curbside recycling and composting, Zero Waste education, and specialty drop-off centers such as the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM)—began as innovative new ideas that needed testing, community support, and persistence. 

Eco-Cycle has spent decades helping design and implement Zero Waste solutions, supported by a community willing to try something different. Together, we’re not just managing waste, but designing new systems that prevent waste from the start.

Eco-Cycle Firsts Over the Decades

Since our founding in 1976, we’ve helped shape what Zero Waste looks like in Boulder County and beyond. Over the decades, we’ve launched a number of “firsts”—infrastructure, programs, and policies that helped create lasting systems change that other communities could adopt and build from.

Some of our most impactful “firsts” include: 

1976 – THE RECYCLING REVOLUTION BEGINS

In the 1970s, recycling wasn’t a household word or concept. Eco-Cycle launched one of the very first curbside recycling programs in the nation, using old school buses to collect materials directly from the community. Volunteers, neighbors, local government, and community groups all played a role in creating a new model that was shared with other communities as programs began to spread nationwide.

1979 – COLORADO’S FIRST RECYCLING FACILITY

Eco-Cycle, in partnership with the City of Boulder and Boulder County,opened the first multimaterial recycling facility in Colorado, accepting and preparing a variety of recycled materials for market, such as newspapers, glass, steel, and aluminum.

1986 – SCHOOL RECYCLING AND EDUCATION

In partnership with the Boulder Valley School District and St. Vrain Valley School District, Eco-Cycle created one of the first school recycling and education programs to help students understand how their choices impact the environment. That work continues today, reaching 58,000 students and staff each year.

1992 – FIRST COMMINGLED SORTING

Eco-Cycle staff designed and built the first commingled sorting system in Colorado, making it easier for residents to participate in recycling by allowing containers like glass and cans to be mixed together.

1999 – FIRST COMMUNITY COLLECTION EVENTS FOR ELECTRONICS RECYCLING IN COLORADO

Eco-Cycle moved to the next frontier of recycling and helped organize Colorado’s first electronics recycling collections, the beginnings of collections for “hard-to-recycle” materials that require special handling. 

2000 – THE ZERO WASTE MOVEMENT BEGINS

In 2000, Eco-Cycle helped launch the Zero Waste movement—locally, nationally, and even globally. At the time, the idea of rethinking the concept of waste and designing it out of the system was considered radical. We worked to define what Zero Waste could look like in practice, sharing a blueprint for Zero Waste models internationally.

2001 – TWO NEW RECYCLING FACILITIES ARE BORN

After Eco-Cycle and many partners throughout the community campaigned to pass a “trash tax” in 1992, the Boulder County Recycling Center was built in 2001. Eco-Cycle became its first (and current) operator, allowing us to move our twenty-five-year outdoor operations indoors. 

That created new opportunities at our old processing location. In partnership with the City of Boulder, we opened the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM)—the first facility of its kind in the nation—finding recycling solutions for now more than 25 different categories of materials that aren’t accepted in curbside programs.

2005 – ZERO WASTE SCHOOLS AND THE FIRST COMMERCIAL COLLECTIONS FOR COMPOST

Eco-Cycle became the first hauler to collect compostable materials from businesses, helping address 40% of the municipal waste stream made up of organic materials. This same year, we also launched our Green Star Schools Program, initially partnering with five Boulder schools willing to innovate with us to create the first comprehensive Zero Waste schools program in the nation.

2006 – FIRST ONGOING ZERO WASTE EVENT

Eco-Cycle worked in partnership with the Boulder Farmers Market vendors and farmers to becomethe first ongoing Zero Waste event in the nation. 

2016 – FIRST UNIVERSAL ZERO WASTE ORDINANCE IN COLORADO

Eco-Cycle successfully collaborated with City of Boulder officials and advocated for the passage of their Universal Zero Waste Ordinance, requiring all businesses to have recycling and composting services. Boulder became the first city in Colorado and the 3rd city in the US to mandate recycling and composting citywide.

2017 – FIRST STATE OF RECYCLING REPORT FOR COLORADO

Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG partnered to release the first annual “State of Recycling in Colorado” report, highlighting municipalities with innovative programs and infrastructure to divert natural resources from the landfill.  

2019 – COMMUNITY SCIENCE FOR CARBON FARMING

Eco-Cycle launched the Community Carbon Farming pilot, the first study in the nation to test the potential of sequestering carbon in residential backyards using carbon farming practices such as applying finished compost to landscapes.

2021 – COLORADO BECOMES THE FIRST INLAND STATE TO ADDRESS PLASTIC POLLUTION

Eco-Cycle, working with partners statewide, successfully advocated for Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, which prohibits restaurants from using toxic foam containers and large retailers from distributing plastic bags. Colorado was the third state to take such action, and the first inland state. Since implementation, it is estimated that over 1 billion  plastic bags will be conserved annually in Colorado.

2022 – COLORADO BECOMES THIRD STATE TO ADOPT PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY

Eco-Cycle successfully champions Colorado’s Producer Responsibility for Paper & Packaging law, making Colorado the third state in the nation to adopt this groundbreaking legislationthat provides free recycling to all residents through fees paid by producers.

ZERO WASTE MEETS ZERO EMISSIONS

Also in 2022, we deployed the first commercial-scale EV compost truck in the nation as part of our Zero Waste–Zero Emissions vision.

2024 – BUILDING COMMUNITY-BASED COMPOST INFRASTRUCTURE

Eco-Cycle launched the first community-based compost system in Boulder County in the spring of 2025, collecting the cleanest organic discards (food scraps) from local schools and businesses and delivering them to Boulder County farms, where they are used to produce high-quality compost for farmlands.

2026 – COLORADO AGGRESSIVELY ADDRESSES LANDFILL EMISSIONS

Eco-Cycle and our partners led a statewide campaign to cut methane emissions generated at landfills, Colorado’s third-largest source of methane emissions. As a result, Colorado became the first state to adopt such comprehensive state-specific standards for landfill greenhouse gases—a major win for public health, clean air, and climate action.

These firsts aren’t just a series of milestones—they’re proof that, working together, we can continue to replace broken, wasteful, and polluting systems with new, circular systems that protect our natural resources and the health of our planet for generations to come.

Looking Ahead

Each of these “firsts” began with identifying a challenge and working together with partners from all sectors of our community—residents, businesses, local government, schools, and farmers—to build practical solutions that protect our climate and natural resources, reduce waste, and create new systems that work better for people and the environment. 

There’s still much more work to do. But if the past has shown us anything, it’s that meaningful change happens when a community comes together around a shared vision.

Together, we can keep building what’s next.

The post From First Steps to Lasting Change: Eco-Cycle’s 50-Year History of Leading the Way appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Eco-Cycle brings decades of experience to advance practical, real-world solutions that make it easier to recycle, compost, and waste less. In a time when federal environmental progress is uncertain, the policy work happening here in Colorado matters more than ever.

Our voice is made stronger by people like you—people who engage with our work and help advocate for Zero Waste bills. Be a part of the momentum by signing up for our policy alerts! 

Key bills we’re focused on during the 2026 legislative session:

Support Senate Bill 26-003: End-of-Life Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries

The problem:
Electric vehicles are on the rise—but what happens to their massive batteries when they wear out? Without a clear system, these batteries can become a costly and potentially hazardous waste problem, even though they contain valuable critical minerals like lithium and cobalt.

The solution:
SB26-003 would create a Producer Responsibility program requiring battery manufacturers to fund and manage a system for collecting, reusing, and recycling EV batteries. The bill prioritizes reuse and repurposing first, and requires clearer labeling to make batteries easier to handle and recycle starting in 2028. It would also establish a national model that other states could follow, making sure that valuable minerals are being recaptured into the supply chain.

Why it matters to you:
This bill, if passed, would help keep toxic materials out of landfills, recover valuable resources, and avoid passing the cost of battery disposal to taxpayers and municipalities.

Eco-Cycle’s take:
We support the intent of this bill and are actively working with partners and legislators to strengthen it. We’re advocating for amendments that ensure costs don’t fall on local governments or landfills, and that strong environmental and safety standards are in place for battery recycling. We, along with partner organizations and local governments, sent a letter to bill sponsors last week asking for these amendments.

Status: Under consideration

Oppose Senate Bill 26-101 Landfill Methane Emission Reduction Regulations 

The problem:
Landfills are one of the largest generators of methane—a potent greenhouse gas. Without proper regulations, landfills can release harmful air pollutants that impact nearby communities.

The solution at risk:
Last year, Colorado adopted updated, science-based regulations to better manage methane monitoring, gas destruction, and leak repair. These commonsense rules were the result of over a year of collaboration between industry, local governments, and environmental groups.

Unfortunately, a bill has been introduced that, if adopted, would undermine these new landfill methane regulations, circumventing over a year of negotiations to reach consensus and a workable compromise between landfills, local governments, environmental groups, and other impacted communities.

Why it matters to you:
Strong landfill standards help protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and safeguard the health of communities—especially those living near landfill sites.

Eco-Cycle’s take:
We oppose SB26-101, because it would weaken these hard-won protections and create loopholes that allow landfills to avoid compliance. We’re working with coalition partners to defeat the bill or remove the provisions that would roll back these important safeguards.

Status: Under consideration

Support House Bill 26-1219 Battery Assessment Submission Deadline Change 

Last year, we helped pass a bill (SB25-163) to create a Producer Responsibility program that will provide safe, no-cost collection and recycling of small- and medium-format batteries statewide starting in 2028. If adopted, HB26-1219 will correct a small date error in SB25-163.

Our take: We are supporting this bill to fix a minor mistake in last year’s successful battery bill. Batteries should NEVER be put in curbside recycling. Residents can safely dispose of loose batteries at no cost at the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility, electronics with embedded batteries (like laptops and cell phones) can be recycled at the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM). 

Status: Under consideration

Support House Bill 26-1132 Practices to Support Pollinators

This bill encourages state agencies to prioritize the use of in-state sources of native plants to support pollinator habitats, establish a training program for land managers, and integrate mowing and grazing practices from a 2022 Department of Natural Resources study. The bill will also require a study that assesses Colorado’s native plant supply chain to recommend actions to make more plants available.

Our take: Eco-Cycle’s composting and engagement teams are working to implement nature-based solutions in partnership with the City of Boulder’s Cool Boulder Program. We know that thriving ecosystems begin with healthy, nutrient-rich soils, and we support this bill as an effort to improve practices so that native plants and pollinators can flourish. 

Status: Under consideration

Support House Bill 26-1111 Pesticide Product Disposal and Container Recycling

Pesticides come in containers that cannot be disposed of in curbside recycling. If adopted, this bill will create a Producer Responsibility program, run by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), to collect and recycle pesticide containers. CDA will work with communities and household hazardous waste facilities to offer collection programs around the state, providing a safe and responsible way for farmers, landscaping companies, and other commercial and private entities to dispose of pesticide containers at a much lower cost than they pay now.

Our take: We support this bill to create a safe and responsible disposal system for pesticide containers. Eco-Cycle testified in support of the bill and an expected amendment to align the definition of recycling with other state laws.

Status: Under consideration

Support Senate Bill 26-016 Prohibit Discharge Preproduction Plastic Materials 

This bill preempts the State from awarding permits to discharge plastic pellets—the material that plastics are made from—into waterways or on land. While this action is already against federal law, the bill would make it clear that plastic pellets spilled in Colorado would need to be cleaned up.

Our take: We support the idea that plastic pellets should not be spilled into our waterways. Eco-Cycle worked with the sponsors of the bill to amend language that could have created unintended consequences for recyclers.

Status: Passed both houses, awaiting the governor’s signature

With two more months left in Colorado’s Legislative Session, we know there is more action to come on Zero Waste policies. We’ll keep you posted on these bills and others we expect to be introduced. 

Make sure to sign up for Eco-Cycle’s email list so you can weigh in on these issues when it matters most! 

The post Colorado Environmental Policy: Advancing Recycling, Composting, and Climate Solutions appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

This March 8, International Women’s Day, Eco-Cycle celebrates the talented and dedicated women helping lead the work to curb climate change and protect the planet for future generations. To highlight their voices, we asked six women on our staff three questions about their professional journeys with Eco-Cycle.

Sadie Gardner

oversees the Boulder County Recycling Center, also known as a MRF (Materials Recovery Center).
Job title: MRF Director
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 6+ years

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Recycling is a tangible thing we can do collectively to move toward our sustainability goals. I’m lucky to be able to see it processed and shipped to mills on a daily basis. Just as important is the people I work with that make it happen—they are smart, hardworking and understand what a team really is. 

How about the most challenging part?
Trying to keep up with all the literal and figurative moving parts—equipment, machinery, optical sorters, and of course the most valuable component, the people. I’m balancing the fast moving pace of the plant while also running the business side and ensuring material gets to its proper end market so it can be made into a new product. 

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
Michelle Obama. I’d ask: “as a career mom working in what is still a very male dominated industry, what advice would you give me?” 

Tina DeLisa

instills wonder and love for the earth in students while giving them lifelong actions that help keep the earth in mind with all their current and future endeavors.  
Job title: Environmental Education Teacher
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 8 years

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is students connecting to and retaining information from our lessons. It is the absolute best when a student sees me at one of their Zero Waste evening or weekend events and tells me about something they did, or saw, or read that connects to part of an Eco-Cycle lesson.

How about the most challenging part?
The most challenging part is fitting all the incredible information and actions you want to teach students into an engaging concise lesson that fits into the allotted class time and curriculum. Thank goodness for our incredible schools’ team doing deep dives and working together to create environmental education lessons that not only fit the time we have with students but also meet the standards of each grade level, PK-12.  

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
I would love to have coffee with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I would ask her what she thinks about the situations we are currently faced with and how she would recommend that we overcome them.

Rachel Setzke

works on state and local Zero Waste policies and programming, helping communities and Colorado improve recycling, composting, and waste reduction.
Job title: Senior Policy Advisor
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: I started as an grad-school intern in August 2019, as an employee in March 2020.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love getting to learn about what is happening around our state and country around recycling, composting, and reuse, and then using that knowledge to leverage opportunities and create solutions for Colorado that will help build recycling and reuse systems and rebuild our soil health through compost. 

How about the most challenging part?
There are so many policies and programs our team works on or would like to work on around recycling, hard to recycle materials, reuse, waste reduction, organics diversion and the use of compost, there is never enough time or capacity to address all of the issues we’d like to!

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her? I am incredibly fortunate to get to connect with women working in this field both at Eco-Cycle and through the state and national groups I participate in! I am constantly inspired by these women and learning from them. I hope to continue meeting with them over Zooms, calls, and tea (I’m a tea-drinker) where I will continue to ask them, what are you excited to be working on and how can we work together to make the world a better place?

Audrey Wheeler

help communities around Colorado advance toward their waste diversion goals.
Job title: Senior Consulting Manager
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 1.5 years

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I get to be part of the incremental progress being made across Colorado toward increasing recycling, composting, and Zero Waste efforts. Communities are taking advantage of new state programs and funding, and a lot of positive changes are happening. 

How about the most challenging part?
Encountering naysayers who think it’s not worth it to recycle or compost, and trying to calmly present convincing arguments. 

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
I’d like to talk to Robin Wall Kimmerer, who has written several books about healing our relationship to the world using Indigenous wisdom. I would ask her about how she keeps up hope in dark times.

Lex Shannon

leads outreach and engagement efforts at Eco-Cycle, overseeing the Eco-Leader Network and connecting Colorado residents with Zero Waste resources. 
Job title: Public Education and Engagement Senior Manager 
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 10 months (1 year in May!) 

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
Rachel Carson, fellow Gemini and mother of the modern environmental movement. My question: how the heck was she able to stay so positive, inquisitive, and kind despite societal norms and industry trying so hard to discredit her work?

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I am constantly learning from everyone involved in Eco-Cycle! We have the most passionate and creative base of supporters that inspire me to keep fighting during these difficult times. 

How about the most challenging part?
Convincing others that recycling does work and it is only one of many tools at our disposal to conserve natural resources as we transition to a more circular system! 

Anna Leske

fundraises to provide support for Eco-Cycle’s Zero Waste programming.
Job title: Senior Advancement Officer
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 3 years

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love connecting with people who share our enthusiasm and dedication to building a Zero Waste future!

How about the most challenging part?
There are so many worthy causes to support, especially in the uncertain times we’re all living through. It sometimes feels like resources are spread thin, but there truly is so much support in our community.

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
I would absolutely love the opportunity to speak with one of my favorite authors, Octavia Butler. Some people call her prescient, but I think she was just really adept at understanding systems. I’d love to ask her advice on how to effectively and joyfully build community in times of struggle and uncertainty. 

The post International Women’s Day 2026 appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Recycle Colorado’s Lobby Day is a chance for you to step into the democratic process and speak directly with state lawmakers about advancing recycling policies. By showing up, sharing your story, and engaging in meaningful conversations, participants help shape decisions that impact communities across Colorado.

Most of us have opinions about what should happen at the Colorado State Capitol, but far fewer of us have ever stepped inside the building to talk directly with the lawmakers who make those decisions. It’s easy to assume that influencing legislation requires policy expertise, years of experience, or specific knowledge.

In reality, it often starts with something much simpler: showing up as a constituent and sharing why an issue matters to you.

Join us on March 12, 2026, for Lobby Day!

Every year Eco-Cycle staff and volunteers head to the Colorado Capitol for Recycle Colorado’s Lobby Day—a supportive way for everyday Coloradans to participate in the legislative process, advocate for Zero Waste policies, and connect with other like-minded activists. Join us, and make a difference in Colorado’s Zero Waste future! 

Colorado Lobby Day
March 12, 2026
7:45 am to 4:00 pm
Colorado State Capitol (200 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO)
Reception at Forte Wine Bar, 4:00–6:30 pm 

To kick things off, a virtual training will be held the morning before Lobby Day, on Wednesday, March 11, from 8:00–9:30 a.m. During the training, participants will receive an overview of the 2026 recycling bills moving through the legislature, learn how to identify and locate their elected officials, and review clear talking points and an easy-to-follow script to guide their conversations. The goal is to ensure that everyone arrives at the Capitol feeling informed, prepared, and confident.

On Lobby Day, Thursday, March 12, participants will meet at 7:45 a.m. inside the capitol after passing through security, where the morning begins with a light breakfast and time to connect with fellow volunteers. Advocates then break into small groups, each led by an experienced team leader who provides guidance, helps coordinate meetings, and offers support throughout the day. Equipped with a list of legislators to visit, teams move through the building to meet with senators, representatives, and their aides. Lunch is provided, and the day wraps up with a reception at Forte WIne Bar, to celebrate our collective impact!

No Experience Required

Lobby Day is a lot like swimming—you’ve got to jump in! For many volunteers, this is a completely new experience. The capitol is bustling with legislators, lobbyists, staff, reporters, and volunteer lobbyists like you. While this may seem a bit intimidating, every year new volunteer lobbyists say the same thing time and time again: “that was the most fun I have had in a long time!” 

More than knowledge, statistics, or well-developed arguments, your personal stories and viewpoints hold the greatest impact. Most legislators are so busy they don’t remember a lot of the detailed information and statistics about issues, but they will remember the interesting story you told about why an issue is important to you. It’s those connections that matter the most, and may have a significant impact on a legislator’s vote. In fact, legislators consistently express appreciation for hearing directly from constituents, and many prefer those conversations to meetings with professional lobbyists because they provide authentic community perspective.

Lobby Day demonstrates that influencing policy does not require insider status; it requires informed, engaged residents who are willing to show up. Join us this year at Recycle Colorado’s Lobby Day!

Please register before February 20 at 2026 Recycle Colorado Lobby Day Advocate Sign Up.

The post Democracy in Action: Join Us for Lobby Day 2026 appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Sporting events are a popular way to gather with friends and family—but when tens of thousands of fans come together, even for just a few hours, a gigantic trail of waste often follows. 

Between tailgating and in-stadium concessions, a single NFL game generates an average of more than 80,000 pounds of waste. With more than 270 games each season, that adds up to over 24 million pounds of waste—and that doesn’t even include college football games.

Thankfully, many sports arenas are taking major steps to reduce this waste. NFL Green, the league’s environmental program, has made efforts toward sustainability since 1993. Locally, CU Boulder’s Folsom Field launched the first Zero Waste athletics program in the US. 

Here’s how Colorado stadiums and arenas are taking steps toward Zero Waste—and how fans can help.

How Colorado Sports Venues Are Designing Out Waste

Recycling and Composting Bins

Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos, provides recycling bins throughout the stadium. At Ball Arena, home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, extensive recycling efforts include “Team Aluminum,”  staff members with mobile recycling backpacks who collect recyclables from fans in the stands—as well as “smart bins” with screens and cameras that guide fans on where to place their trash and recyclables. 

At Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, recycling bins are located throughout the stadium, with new compost bins offered in the 2025 season on club levels and premium seating areas. In 2024, the Rockies also composted grass clippings, food scraps, and other organics, diverting almost 72 tons.

Reusable, Recyclable, or Compostable Cups and Containers

Through partnerships with Ball Corporation, many Colorado venues—including Ball Arena, Folsom Field, and others—have replaced plastic cups with infinitely recyclable aluminum ones, dramatically cutting plastic waste, as long as event attendees recycle the cups!

CU Boulder’s Folsom Field—one of the first Zero Waste athletic programs in the US—sells all food and beverages in compostable, recyclable, or reusable containers, which dramatically increases waste diverted from the landfill. Committed student volunteers help fans sort discards correctly into recycling, compost, and trash bins. Stadiums like Folsom Field that combine volunteers, good signage, and limited bin options consistently achieve the highest diversion rates.

Water & Refill Infrastructure

Many Colorado stadiums—including Empower Field at Mile High, Ball Arena, and Coors Field—allow fans to bring empty, refillable water bottles and offer refill stations. These systems reduce plastic bottle waste and cut the environmental impact of beverage service.

Beyond the Bin: Food, Energy, and Community Impact

Ballpark Gardens & Local Produce

In 2013, the Colorado Rockies and ARAMARK launched the Coors Field Garden, planted and maintained by Produce Denver. The garden is the first sustainable garden in Major League Baseball and a model that’s since been replicated by stadiums nationwide. The 600-square-foot garden grows a variety of vegetables and herbs used by Coors Field chefs in the stadium’s restaurant and at salad stations.

NFL Green Tree-Planting & Restoration Initiatives

NFL Green’s “Greening Projects” support tree plantings, community garden installations, pollinator habitat creation, and habitat restoration in host cities for major NFL events. These efforts help offset the environmental footprint associated with large gatherings.

Energy & Resource Efficiency

Behind the scenes, Colorado stadiums are improving energy efficiency through lighting upgrades, kitchen equipment improvements, and responsible maintenance practices. Through a partnership with Filta Fry, Coors Field recovered more than 155,000 pounds of cooking oil in 2024, recycling it into cleaner biodiesel fuel. The emissions savings are equivalent to planting over 4,200 trees.

How Fans Can Help Reduce Stadium Waste

Even the best stadium programs rely on fans helping out. Here’s what you can do:

• Bring a reusable water bottle and use refill stations.
• Pick aluminum over plastic when buying beverages if a reusable refill isn’t an option.
• Sort your discarded items correctly—recycle empty cans and recyclable paper, and compost food scraps and certified compostable containers where available.
• Skip single-use plastics, especially wrappers, utensils, and bags.
• Support teams and venues that invest in Zero Waste and reuse programs.

Game day will always come with cheers, concessions, and celebration, but it doesn’t have to end with a mountain of trash. When stadiums build smarter systems and fans play their part, even the biggest crowds can leave a lighter footprint. So grab your reusable bottle, sort with intention, and remember that Zero Waste is a team sport—and Colorado is already winning!

The post Game Day Without the Garbage: Tackling Waste at Stadiums and Arenas appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

This year, Eco-Cycle marks fifty years of turning community vision into real-world Zero Waste solutions, beginning as one of the first recyclers in the country and becoming a national Zero Waste leader. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re honoring the past while setting our sights on what’s possible next. 

Five decades ago, a small group of Boulder visionaries looked at what others called “waste” and saw a profound problem in need of a solution. In the mid-1970s, when recycling wasn’t a common word and most materials were simply discarded, founders Pete Grogan and Roy Young, along with fellow conservation activists, imagined something fundamentally different: a community where natural resources were preserved, valued, recovered, and returned to use.

That idea led to the birth of Eco-Cycle and launched the recycling movement, making Boulder one of the first cities in the nation to offer curbside recycling.

The new organization sparked hope that systems change was possible when partners come together. Government leaders, educators, businesses, and residents formed a collaborative, community-based effort to trial and scale bold, practical solutions to the waste crisis. 

Over the decades, Eco-Cycle has become a founding leader in shaping what is now known as the “Zero Waste” movement. Our work has advanced sustainability goals across Colorado and influenced how communities nationwide think about the responsibility, stewardship, use, and misuse of our natural resources. What began as a grassroots effort is now one of the country’s largest and oldest nonprofit Zero Waste organizations.

A Legacy of Leadership

Throughout our history, Eco-Cycle, working in partnership with the community, has helped make a series of “firsts” possible—innovations that have gone on to serve as models far beyond Boulder County. Just a sampling of these examples includes: 

• 1979: Eco-Cycle opens the first post-consumer, multi-material recycling facility in Colorado, which grows to become the largest outdoor processing facility in the nation, processing 40,000 tons per year.

• 1986: Eco-Cycle creates one of the first school recycling education programs, beginning a long-standing partnership with Boulder Valley School District, St. Vrain Valley School District, and the municipalities they serve.

• 1992: Eco-Cycle staff design and build the state’s first commingled container sorting system in Colorado.

• 2001: In partnership with the City of Boulder, Eco-Cycle opens the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM), the first of its kind in the nation.

• 2001: After an Eco-Cycle led campaign to pass a tax to build a publicly owned facility, the Boulder County Recycling Center (BCRC) is built, and Eco-Cycle becomes the operator, allowing us to move our operations indoors for the first time in 25 years. The facility is the first publicly owned and privately operated Materials Recovery Facility in the state, establishing a new model for public–private partnerships in Zero Waste infrastructure. 

• 2005: Eco-Cycle is the first hauler to collect organic materials for composting from businesses. 

• 2021: Eco-Cycle led a statewide campaign to make Colorado the first inland state to pass a comprehensive Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, banning single-use plastic bags and expanded polystyrene (aka Styrofoam), taking effect in 2024.

• 2022: Eco-Cycle deploys the nation’s first commercial-scale compost collection EV truck.

• 2026: Thanks to an Eco-Cycle-led campaign, Colorado became the second state in the nation to implement Extended Producer Responsibility, requiring brands to take financial responsibility for the recycling and disposal of their products. 

Our milestones aren’t just markers of progress. They reflect how significant change can happen when communities commit to bold ideas and stay the course—creating a foundation for the next generation of solutions.

Eco-Cycle Today

We help change the systems by advancing programs, policies, and infrastructure that make recycling, composting, reuse, and waste reduction easier, more effective, and more accessible and equitable across Colorado. Our role is both practical and forward-looking: helping communities responsibly manage their “waste” while designing systems that prevent waste and its impacts on natural resources, climate, biodiversity, and health. That means moving beyond a system based on disposability toward one that is based on circularity, with fewer resources extracted, and products and packaging that are designed to be nontoxic, durable, reusable, and ultimately recyclable. 

Looking Ahead: Building the Next Era of Zero Waste

This anniversary is not just a celebration of where we’ve been. It is a launchpad for where we’re going. Eco-Cycle is entering its next chapter with a clear focus: expanding the policy, programs, infrastructure, and partnerships needed to accelerate Colorado’s transition to a circular, regenerative economy. From advancing markets for hard-to-recycle materials, to creating free access to recycling for all Coloradans, to modeling clean energy within the hauling industry, to deepening composting and nature-based approaches, our work is centered on innovating, advocating, and implementing scalable solutions for both people and planet.

The Next Chapter Starts Now

Eco-Cycle’s story has always been about what happens when communities believe change is possible—and work in partnership to make it real. YOU are an important part of the story, and we thank you for everything you do. As we celebrate fifty years of impact, we invite you to imagine the next fifty alongside us.

The future of Zero Waste is already taking shape. Together, we can build it.

Stay tuned throughout the year! We have many programs, new tools, and events planned to celebrate all that we’ve achieved together.

The post Celebrating Half a Century of Eco-Cycle—and the Future We’re Building Together appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

New landfill methane rules represent a step forward for nearby communities while tackling planet-warming pollution 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Colorado coalition to reduce landfill methane emissions: Brian Loma (GreenLatinos), Tom Bloomfield (Kaplan Kirsch), Rachael Lehman (Black Parents United Foundation), Ean Thomas Tafoya (GreenLatinos), Zan Jones (Eco-Cycle), Laurie Anderson (Moms Clean Air Force), Alexandra Schluntz (EarthJustice), Ryan Call (Eco-Cycle), Edwin LaMair (Environmental Defense Fund)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 16, 2025

CONTACT:
Elizabeth Schroeder, Full Circle Future
elizabeth@fullcirclefuture.org
 

DENVER – In a major win for public health, climate action, and environmental justice, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) today voted 6-0 to adopt updated rules to slash methane pollution from the state’s landfills. The landfill methane rule, a product of compromise from all involved parties, will reduce the highly potent greenhouse gas while also protecting nearby communities from smog-forming pollution and air toxics, like benzene and toluene. 

The landfill methane rule includes critical updates to hold operators accountable, including: 

• Requiring landfill operators to improve how they monitor for methane leaks;
• Strengthening requirements for how methane gas is captured and destroyed; 
• Requiring landfill operators to use landfill cover practices to control emissions; and 
• Phasing out open flares. 

In 2020, Colorado landfills emitted 4.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the equivalent of driving more than 1 million gas-powered cars for a year. Once fully implemented, these new rules will drastically reduce harmful emissions. Additionally, Colorado advocates will continue to push for “upstream” solutions to eliminate the creation of methane in the first place, by increasing organics diversion programs that reduce the amount of methane-producing waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, buried in landfills each year. 

Below are statements from the coalition in reaction to today’s vote:

“Colorado has taken a major step in reducing waste-related emissions by adopting updated landfill methane regulations. We applaud the hundreds of Coloradans who provided feedback on this effort, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Air Pollution Control Division team for their collaborative and creative approach to navigating this complex topic. Eco-Cycle and our partners will continue our work to advance organic waste diversion systems across Colorado, keeping methane-generating materials out of landfills in the first place. – said Suzanne Jones, Executive Director at Eco-Cycle.

“By adopting the landfill methane rule, Colorado is taking an important step to protect our children’s health and future. Landfills are a major source of methane and harmful co-pollutants that can trigger asthma and other respiratory conditions in kids. These new rules will improve air quality and cut climate-warming pollution, helping us achieve the clean air and safe climate our children deserve—while demonstrating that Colorado is committed to safeguarding both for generations to come,” said Laurie Anderson, Colorado Field Organizer at Moms Clean Air Force.

“Today’s decision is a meaningful victory for the health of Colorado communities. Methane is a powerful climate pollutant that also worsens the air quality issues driving asthma, respiratory illness, and other preventable health harms – especially for children and those living closest to landfills. By requiring robust monitoring and stronger controls on landfill emissions, the Commission has taken a critical step toward cleaner air and a safer, healthier future for all Coloradans,” said Dr. Nikita Habermehl, emergency medicine pediatrician and Healthy Air & Water Colorado advocate. 

“Colorado communities have been paying the price of waste sector pollution for far too long, with 1 in 3 Coloradans living within five miles of a landfill. We’re proud to see Colorado’s air regulators take action to hold operators accountable and tackle one of our most solvable climate and health challenges. We look forward to continuing to build a cleaner future where families can breathe clean air and food no longer goes to waste,” said Lee Helfend, Director of Campaign Strategy at Full Circle Future. 

“Communities across Colorado are already grappling with the mounting consequences of climate change, like intense heat waves, persistent drought, increasingly destructive weather, and more severe wildfires. Local leaders across the state have voiced strong support for a robust rule, because cutting methane emissions from landfills – one of the state’s major climate offenders – is among the quickest and most achievable strategies for addressing this pollution. WLN commends AQCC for taking this important step and advancing modern, protective standards that will cover more landfills, improve monitoring, capture more gas and protect Coloradans,” said Liane Jollon, executive director of Western Leaders Network.

“So many hazardous toxics attach to methane as materials break down. These rules will ensure healthier air for communities ensuring the majority of these toxins are destroyed instead of being emitted in the atmosphere,” said Brian Loma, Hazardous Waste and Materials Diversion Advocate for GreenLatinos Colorado. “Health impacts of hazardous air pollutants can be seen as far as 60 miles from the landfill flare and this rule is calculated to avert over 10 billion in health and social impacts for Coloradans, especially those in rural communities.”

“Colorado’s poor air quality stems from a variety of pollution sources, including methane emissions from landfills. Communities served by the Black Parents United Foundation in Aurora, Denver, and Commerce City experience significant health challenges as a result, with asthma being particularly widespread. We are grateful to the AQCC for addressing this pollution source and providing another important tool to help protect public health.” said Rachael Lehman, Legislative Affairs, Black Parents United Foundation.

“Today’s vote puts Colorado on a stronger path to rein in one of the most harmful sources of methane pollution that threatens human health. By requiring better monitoring, stronger controls, and the use of advanced technologies to reduce methane leaks, the Commission delivered commonsense protections that will cut pollution faster and improve air quality for communities living near landfills,” said Edwin LaMair, Senior Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund.

“For too long, municipal waste landfills have been subject to lax air pollution standards. These new regulations will make meaningful cuts in emissions of methane and other harmful air pollutants from Colorado’s landfills,” said Leah Kelly, Senior Attorney with the Environmental Integrity Project. “We appreciate the time and attention devoted by Colorado regulators to this important issue.”

The post Colorado Air Regulators Approve Landfill Methane Standards appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

After years of planning, the State of Colorado approved the plan for implementing Producer Responsibility in the state, which will provide free recycling to all residents when fully implemented. 

On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) approved the Circular Action Alliance (CAA) plan to implement Producer Responsibility for paper and packaging in the state. This represents a major milestone in advancing this landmark legislation, which Eco-Cycle helped draft and champion in 2022 (HB22-1355 Producer Responsibility for Packaging Act).

With this approval, Colorado became the second in the nation—following Oregon—to adopt a plan and move forward with implementation. The program will provide convenient recycling access to all Colorado residents that is entirely paid for by the producers of the packaging—not by residents or local governments.

Colorado predicted to recycle as much as 60% of consumer packaging by 2035

The plan lays out the roadmap of how CAA Colorado, which is the Producer Responsibility organization for Colorado, will meet the State-approved recycling goal for recycling up to 60% of Colorado’s consumer packaging by 2035. CAA Colorado worked with CDPHE and the State-appointed Producer Responsibility Advisory Board over the past year to develop and refine the plan. Now that the plan is approved, CAA Colorado will start working to get no-cost recycling to Colorado households statewide.

The cost of recycling will shift from consumers and communities onto companies that sell packaged products in Colorado

Currently, the cost of recycling is paid for by you, the consumer, and by your municipality or county. As Colorado’s Producer Responsibility program is implemented, the cost of recycling will be paid for by the companies that sell packaged consumer products in Colorado, including items such as juice boxes, cans, bottles, the wrapping around clothes, and the boxes and mailers delivered to your door. 

How the new Producer Responsibility program will work

CAA Colorado will start working with local governments and recycling service providers to finalize details about how and when recycling services will be reimbursed. Some communities will begin being reimbursed for recycling services starting in June of 2026. 

• In communities where recycling services are lacking, or where the local government chooses not to participate in the program, residents will still receive no-cost recycling, but it will take longer to roll out. 

• If you currently live in a community that has either municipally run waste collection services (like Denver and Longmont), or municipally contracted services (like Lafayette and Arvada) your city will be reimbursed by CAA for the recycling services already being provided. If you live in a single-family home in these communities, you should either see a reduction in your recycling bill, or possibly an increase in other Zero Waste services—e.g., your community might choose to use the amount residents previously paid for recycling to add services like organics collection or hazardous waste collections. 

• If you live in a community that has an open market for waste collection, where homeowners choose their own hauler, each hauler will need to sign an agreement with CAA to get reimbursed for recycling services. It will probably take longer for CAA to start reimbursing individual haulers than it will in communities that have organized services.

The environmental and economic benefits of the Producer Responsibility Program 

• The program will increase access to recycling for an additional 500,000 households, providing no-cost recycling to ALL Coloradans by 2030.

• The Producer Responsibility plan creates one set of recycling guidelines for the entire state. That means locals and visitors alike will be able to recycle the same packaging in every Colorado town or city.

• By 2035, an additional 410,000 tons of valuable materials will be recovered, such as cardboard, aluminum, glass, and recyclable plastics, for a total of 720,000 tons recycled annually—a 132% increase from today. 

• This additional recycled material will be made available as post-consumer content for companies to include when making new packaging, reducing the need for natural resource extraction.

• The new, expanded system will create an additional 7,900 recycling-related jobs.

• The new system will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 278,000 cars off the road by 2035.

• The new system will save municipalities and residents millions of dollars each year. The state estimates the cost savings for Denver alone will be up to $16.3 million in 2035.

• The new system rewards companies that sell packaged products in Colorado to use less packaging and design packaging to be more recyclable and use more recycled content. This is because companies are charged according to the amount of packaging and types of packaging they use: the more sustainable their packaging is (i.e., reusable or recyclable) the less they have to pay into the system. For example, producers will pay less per pound for highly recyclable aluminum than they will for non-recyclable plastics.

What you can do to ensure that you benefit from the Producer Responsibility Program

If your community already has a coordinated recycling system—where your city or county arranges recycling collection through a unified program or hauler contracts—contact your city or county to ask them to seek reimbursement from CAA and learn how that reimbursement may affect your rates or service.

If you live in an open-market system, where individual households choose their own recycling and trash hauler, contact your hauler directly and ask whether they plan to seek reimbursement from CAA and what that could mean for your bill or service.

Cities and counties may choose to adopt coordinated recycling systems at any time. Coordinated recycling not only reduces truck traffic, air pollution, road damage, and safety risks, but also makes it easier—and likely faster—for CAA to reimburse recycling costs by streamlining how services and data are managed.

Free recycling applies to those living in apartment or multifamily buildings, or in a Home Owners Association (HOA)

The law requires the program to provide recycling services to all residents, including those in HOAs, and multifamily housing such as apartments. Haulers servicing multifamily buildings and HOAs will need to sign an agreement with CAA to be reimbursed. Contact your property owner or manager and inquire about the hauler getting reimbursed to ensure you benefit from the free service.

Communities currently without recycling can expect to see services by 2030

The law requires that recycling be as convenient as trash services. For residents that haul their own trash to the landfill, they will have free access to recycling drop-off sites (likely at the landfill). If you have curbside trash service, you will also gain access to curbside recycling service. Because recycling haulers will need to increase their capacity by hiring new drivers and buying new trucks in order to add new service routes, it will likely take longer for you to start receiving free recycling service. The goal is to add these services by 2030. Be sure to inquire with your local elected officials, city staff, or haulers to see if they are aware of the program and if they have connected with CAA. 

The Plan prevents greenwashing from plastics manufacturers by requiring verifiable and transparent tracking

The approved plan requires that materials considered “recycled” through the program must be verifiably tracked and accounted for. Some in the plastics industry argued for accounting methods that could not guarantee that materials were recycled into new plastic products rather than being turned into fuel. These so-called “free allocation” accounting schemes also would have allowed companies to market their packaging with higher amounts of recycled content than they might actually include. Eco-Cycle, along with other environmental organizations, and over 900 residents who submitted comments to the State, helped push CDPHE to keep free allocation out of the plan for this year. 

Some in the plastics industry are continuing to fight to get free allocation in the plan and are now suing the State to include it. We must ensure that we have an authentic and transparent recycling system in Colorado by requiring verifiable, transparent methods for tracking recycled content.

What’s next? 

While the program will begin June 2026, it will take several years to get recycling to every resident in the state. 

Over the coming months and years, CAA will continue to work with local governments and recycling service providers, like Eco-Cycle, to negotiate specific details of how the plan will fund education and outreach programs, expand curbside recycling programs, and process the resulting increase in valuable materials expected to be collected throughout the state.

Alongside our partners, Eco-Cycle will keep collaborating with CAA and CDPHE to help implement a plan that best serves Colorado’s communities. We’re excited to bring decades of real-world experience—from Boulder County to communities across the state—to support the rollout of strong, successful recycling programs statewide.

The post Producer Responsibility Plan for Colorado Approved appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

A new era of recycling is coming to Colorado.

Protecting Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Law from Greenwashing

Tell Governor Polis and Director Hunsaker Ryan: Keep Recycling Honest

Deadline: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Colorado is on the cusp of building one of the most transparent and trustworthy recycling systems in the country. But right now, that progress is at risk.

Some in the plastics and chemical industry are pushing for two major loopholes in Colorado’s landmark Producer Responsibility law (HB22-1355)—loopholes that would inflate recycling numbers, mislead the public, and weaken the system before it even begins.

These loopholes are technical by design, but the impact is simple: If they succeed, what you put in your recycling bin may not actually be recycled into new products. And companies could claim “100% recycled content” on packaging that barely contains any recycled material at all.

Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) took a strong stance earlier this year, rejecting these tactics and affirming that recycling must be transparent, trackable, and real. Now, industry lobbyists are pressuring the State to reverse that decision.

Colorado has a chance to build the most transparent recycling system in the nation— but only if Governor Polis and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Director Hunsaker Ryan hear from us.

• By this Tuesday, November 25: Send a letter urging Governor Polis and Director Hunsaker Ryan to stand firm in support of real and transparent recycling! It takes less than one minute.

What’s at Stake: Two Loopholes That Could Undermine Recycling in Colorado

Loophole #1: Counting plastics turned into fuel as “recycled.”

Some chemical or “advanced” recycling technologies turn plastic into fuel or chemicals that will become fuel. Some in the plastics industry want the State to count this as “recycling.”

But turning plastics into fuel is not recycling. These processes remove plastics from circulation forever, generate pollution, and require more virgin materials to replace what was destroyed. Colorado’s recycling system is meant to keep materials in circulation, not destroy them.

Solution: Colorado must require a verifiable accounting system that only counts plastics as recycled if they are turned into new products. Just as glass becomes new bottles and aluminum becomes new cans, only plastics made into new plastic products should count as “recycled.”

Loophole #2: “Free allocation”—an accounting trick that allows fake recycled-content claims.

Under free allocation, companies could claim recycled content in their packaging without any requirement to prove it with trackable data. A company could market a product as “100% recycled” even if the physical packaging contains little or no recycled plastic.

Solution: Colorado must require transparent and verifiable accounting methods for plastics, like those used to calculate recycled content of glass, paper, and metal. Producers should only be able to claim the amount of recycled content that can be transparently and verifiably shown to be reflected in their packaging. 

 Make Your Voice Heard

• Send a letter urging Governor Polis and Director Hunsaker Ryan to close these loopholes by Tuesday, November 25, 2025. It takes less than one minute!

A Deeper Look into the Issue

Protecting Colorado’s landmark Producer Responsibility Bill

The Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Products Act (HB22-1355), passed in 2022, transforms Colorado’s recycling system. Starting in 2026, companies that sell products in packaging—not taxpayers—will begin to fund residential recycling services.

This new system will provide:

• Free, convenient, and consistent recycling for every Colorado resident
• Funding of recycling by producers, not consumers
• Incentives for companies to reduce packaging, design for reuse, and use more recycled materials

This approach of providing incentives—called eco-modulation—uses financial rewards and penalties to incentivize companies toward more sustainable packaging that uses more Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) content.

But for this system to work, we must close loopholes—including “free allocation” accounting methods—that some in the plastics industry are championing.

Transparent Accounting Is the Backbone of Real Recycling

Most recyclable materials—paper, glass, aluminum, and many plastics—follow verifiable accounting systems that track the average amount of recycled content going into products. This is referred to as the “rolling average.” The actual ratio of recycled material in a product line is tracked over a specific timeframe to report an average amount of recycled content in that product line. The amount of recycled material a company can claim is used to create packaging is what is actually used in that packaging, and is verifiable.

However, some in the plastics industry are currently lobbying the State for unverifiable accounting systems, including free allocation and “polymer-only” credit methods.

Here’s the difference:

Verifiable Accounting (Ex: Rolling average)

• Tracks recycled vs. virgin material through every manufacturing step
• Ensures recycled-content claims reflect a product’s actual constitution
• Is already used reliably for recycling glass, metal, and paper
• Aligns with Colorado’s intent for honest, transparent recycling

Non-Verifiable Methods (Ex: Free allocation and other credit methods)

• Assign “credits” in ways that don’t reflect real material use
• Allow companies to take recycled-content credits from one product and apply them to a different product
• Allow chemical byproducts that will be turned into fuel to count as recycled
• Lead to inflated, misleading, or false recycling claims

If these loopholes are allowed, companies could claim they’re recycling and using recycled materials—and receive eco-modulation benefits—even if their products aren’t truly recyclable or don’t contain recycled content.

Protecting Real Recycling for Colorado

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how Colorado recycles—making it more accessible, effective, and transparent. But we must ensure the system is trustworthy and reliable. To protect the integrity of our new Producer Responsibility system, we must demand:

• Plastics used as fuel (or converted into chemicals that will become fuel) should never count as recycling.
• Post-consumer recycled content claims must be transparent, verifiable, and reflect the real recycled content in packaging.
• Eco-modulation must reward honesty: only companies that truly reduce, reuse, include more recycled content, and eliminate toxic chemicals intentionally added to their packaging should receive financial benefits.

Recycling should reliably mean RECYCLING. Products should reflect the truth. And producers should be held accountable for what they create. Tell Governor Polis and Director Hunsaker Ryan to protect real recycling in Colorado.

The post Getting Recycling Right for All Coloradans appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

For decades—starting back in 1939 with the launch of the nation’s first food stamp program—federal funds have been allocated to helping Americans cover food costs and reduce hunger and food insecurity through the US Food and Nutrition Service’s program, what we now call “SNAP” (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

Currently, 42 million Americans are eligible for SNAP assistance—about 1 in 8 individuals. A high proportion of these recipients are children. Fortunately, SNAP benefits are now restored, and our neighbors who rely on this program to keep their families fed will be able to receive their benefits once more. But the food insecurity problem, both in our country and globally, goes much deeper.

In the US, up to 40% of our food goes to waste every year. Combatting food insecurity is not only an aspect of social justice, it lies at the intersection of social and climate justice. The fact is that our diets and consumer choices around food have a major impact on the planet and its people. If our society were to waste less food, and prioritize creating a food system that works in right relationship with the Earth, we would:

• prevent the unnecessary loss of resources used to grow food,
• prevent methane produced by food that is landfilled and doesn’t get composted, and
• lower the threshold of access to food, potentially driving down costs that are prohibitively expensive for some households.

The good news is, it is possible to go Zero Waste when it comes to the groceries you buy, through careful meal planning as well as pantry management and storage tips. Learn how to prevent food waste at home!

Ways to Get Involved

While it is good news that SNAP benefits are being restored, these resources can only go so far toward putting meals on the table and ensuring everyone in our community has access to healthy food. If you’re interested in helping address hunger in your community, there are so many ways that YOU can make a difference! Contributions can take many forms, including giving your time, sharing extra pantry items, and/or offering your expendable income.

Participate in a Food Drive

Many of our partner organizations listed below accept donations of shelf-stable foods and toiletries for those in need. Better yet—lean in at your workplace and other places close to your heart (community groups, places of worship, etc.) to find out if they have a food pantry or supply drive already in place. If they don’t, you could be the person to organize one!

Food and supply donations collected by staff at Eco-Cycle’s headquarters this month for one of our partner orgs, the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA).

Donate Funds

For some organizations, the most helpful contribution that people can make is simply to donate funds that can be used to purchase food at wholesale prices and in bulk quantities in order to produce hot and healthy meals for large numbers of people, or to cover overhead costs at food banks. All of our partner organizations listed below accept monetary donations through their websites.

Other ways to help financially include sponsoring a grocery buddy if you know someone personally who could use support covering the cost of food on a short-term or long-term basis, or participating in an organized mutual aid program such as the Nude Foods Market SNAP Support program. This opportunity allows you to sponsor a gift card granted to those who apply for food assistance at Boulder and Denver’s cutting-edge Zero Waste and plastic-free grocery stores.

Volunteer

Your time is one of the most valuable resources you have to give. Whether you volunteer at a food bank helping organize donations or help a gleaning organization facilitate pickups from businesses, the person-power you have to offer can make or break the mission at organizations fighting food waste and insecurity.

Scroll to the bottom to find a list of partner organizations Eco-Cycle recommends working with!

Other ways to get involved independently include building a Little Free Pantry in your yard, or using an app like Hungree or Plentiful.

Partner Organizations

Eco-Cycle has partnered with many food assistance organizations over the years and would like to amplify their efforts, including:  

Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) – Supports families with food and essential services; accepts a wide range of donations.

• Volunteer
• Donate supplies – Find a list of priority items here!
• Donate funds

Harvest of Hope Pantry – A food pantry providing groceries to individuals and families; accepts canned goods, grains, and produce.

• Volunteer
• Donate Supplies – Find a list of priority items here!
• Donate Funds

Community Food Share – Regional hunger-relief organization serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties; accepts nonperishables, produce, and some perishables.

• Volunteer – Includes ways that kids can get involved in the classroom!
• Donate Supplies
• Donate Funds

Sister Carmen – A nonprofit religious agency offering food assistance and wraparound support; accepts fresh and packaged foods.

• Volunteer
• Donate Supplies
• Donate Funds

Food Not Bombs – A global grassroots network active in more than 1,000 locations that turns recovered food from farms, grocers, and restaurants into free vegan meals. In Boulder, they host a community lunch every Saturday at noon by the Boulder Central Library.

• FNB accepts volunteers as well as monetary donations—message organizers to get involved!

Vindeket Foods – Vindeket (a name that combines the words “vindicate” and “advocate”) is a nonprofit food rescue that partners with grocery stores, restaurants, and farms to reduce wasted food.

• Volunteer
• Donate Supplies
• Donate Funds

Gleaning organizations:

• Boulder Food Rescue 
• Uproot 
• We Don’t Waste
• Community Fruit Rescue

Are you already working with an organization not listed here? We’d love to hear more. Contact recycle@ecocycle.org and let us know the ways you’re combatting food insecurity where you live. Together, we can keep communities fed—and protecting the people means protecting the planet.

The post The Intersection of Food Insecurity and Climate, and How You Can Take Action appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG Foundation just released the 9th annual State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado report, and our findings show clear momentum. From Denver to Aspen to Longmont and Boulder, local leadership, strong policies, and community commitment are helping Colorado shift away from the old “take, make, waste” system to a circular future based on the wise use of valuable resources.

What’s driving progress?

The State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado report highlights a number of leading cities and businesses that have seen significant improvements in waste diversion over the last year as they build programs and implement policies that drive waste reduction and diversion, including:

• Longmont nearly doubled business and multifamily recycling and composting—from 35% to 59%—after implementing its Universal Recycling Ordinance.
  
• Aspen’s Organic Waste Ordinance led to a 350% surge in food scraps being composted and returned to replenish local soils.
  
• Denver expanded residential compost collections citywide to 75,000 homes, increasing organics diversion by 55%.
  
• Boulder’s deconstruction ordinance has diverted more than 105,000 tons of reusable materials since 2020, keeping lumber, concrete, and metals out of landfills.
  
• A small business in Commerce City—Perks Deconstruction—recovered over 1 million pounds of building materials for reuse and recycling in 2024 alone, demonstrating the potential of the growing reuse economy to provide local jobs and economic activity.
  
• Statewide, Colorado increased diversion of woody material—including yard trimmings, branches and logs from wildfire mitigation efforts, pallets, and clean lumber—by 50% in just one year.

Looking Ahead

Even bigger changes are coming in 2026, when the state begins to implement a Producer Responsibility program, which will ensure that the largest companies making everyday products that Coloradans buy will help pay for the recycling of the boxes, cans, bottles, and paper that those products come in. When fully implemented over the next few years, the program will: 

• Provide free, convenient recycling access for every Coloradan—no matter where you live.
  
• Expand recycling services to 500,000 more households.
  
• Recycle over 400,000 tons of packaging annually, more than twice what we recycle today.
  
• Ease the burden on communities and residents by requiring the companies that make packaging to pay for Colorado’s recycling system.

Progress Happens Community by Community

Across Colorado, communities, businesses, and local leaders are demonstrating that Zero Waste strategies can lead to big jumps in recycling, composting, and reuse. Together, we’re taking collective action to build systems that make sense, and lay the foundation for a truly circular system in Colorado.You can read the full State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado report at ecocycle.org/SORC.

The post Colorado Communities Are Driving Real Progress on Recycling and Composting appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

(Minneapolis, MN — October 3, 2025) On Friday, the Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR) released a new report, “Designing Effective EPR: What to Do About Film & Flexible Packaging,” highlighting the significant problems associated with including flexible and film plastics in curbside recycling programs. 

Flexible packaging, from grocery bags and shipping mailers to chip bags and stand-up zip-top pouches, is one of the fastest-growing types of packaging in the US. But these materials create significant problems for municipal recycling programs. 

With many states implementing or considering Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies for packaging and paper that include recycling targets, top consumer brands are investing heavily in efforts to make this packaging seem recyclable. But what recycling operators have known for decades is that flexible and film plastics cannot be recycled on a large scale. We must pivot to real solutions.

Most flexible and film plastics cannot be effectively recycled through curbside programs due to the complex material composition and limited end markets. The end markets that do exist stretch the definition of recycling and raise environmental concerns. Current markets include plastic-to-fuel, road construction, burning in cement kilns, and use in aggregate, filler, or drainage systems.  

Additionally, when the material is included in single-stream curbside recycling, it creates costly contamination of paper streams, as well as delays and damage to recycling facility operations.

While flexible and film packaging has grown to account for as much as 50% of food packaging, it is estimated that US households generate more than 10 billion pounds annually, and only 2% of it is currently recycled, mostly through dedicated drop-off programs for clean, single-material films.

AMBR’s report provides guidance for states implementing EPR laws on how to ensure that recycling systems are not undermined, instead focusing Producer Responsibility efforts where they can have the greatest environmental and economic impact.

The report urges that as states pass EPR for packaging, they:

• Exclude flexible films from curbside programs to avoid costly contamination and equipment disruptions.
• Prioritize source reduction, reuse systems, and certified compostable alternatives.
• Require detailed producer reporting and adopt environmentally responsible end market standards.
• Ban counting incineration or fuel conversion as recycling and prohibit plastic recycling credit schemes for recycled content claims.

Download the full report here: Designing Effective EPR: What to Do About Film & Flexible Packaging

The Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR) is a coalition founded by four of the original pioneers of mission-driven, community-based nonprofit recycling in the U.S., Eureka Recycling, Eco-Cycle, Ecology Center, and Recycle Ann Arbor. By revealing facts and myths about how recycling works, modeling innovative policies and practices, and influencing the national conversation, AMBR is guiding new recycling policies and infrastructure investments to rebuild credible, transparent recycling systems that support a sustainable circular economy and just, resilient local communities. For more information, visit ambr-recyclers.org.

The post National Recycling Alliance Warns Against New Efforts to Put Plastic Bags, Pouches & Wrappers in Curbside Recycling appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

As fast fashion churns out more clothes than the world can wear, mountains of textile waste are piling up around the world. Here’s how fast fashion drives pollution, labor abuses, and what’s being done to change it.

In northern Chile’s Atacama Desert, an unlikely landmark has emerged: mountains of discarded clothing. These piles—stretching across nearly 580 football fields—are made up of secondhand garments shipped from the United States and Europe, much of it never sold or worn. 

This textile mountain is a byproduct of the global fast fashion machine, a system that churns out clothing faster and cheaper than ever before. The clothes arrive faster than they can be sorted, leaving behind a growing symbol of the global fast fashion crisis.

A System Built on Speed

Just a generation ago, designers released two major collections a year: fall/winter and spring/summer. Now, brands rely on flimsy fabrics and trend-gathering algorithms to collapse the design-to-production timeline from months to as few as 10 days. Spanish retailer Zara introduces about 35,000 new styles each year. China-based Shein eclipses even that, with an estimated 1.3 million products annually. 

For consumers, it means the ability to copy an influencer’s outfit almost instantly. For the planet, it means staggering amounts of textile waste.

Fast Fashion’s Plastic Problem

The fashion industry generates 92 million tons of waste every year, and it’s growing. Much of it is plastic-based fabrics like polyester, nylon, and acrylic. Why plastic? Cost is one reason—it’s far cheaper than cotton. Plastic textiles also provide a new market for oil and gas companies. Today, we make everything from packaging to furniture to textiles out of plastic. 

The consequences are everywhere. Synthetic fabrics shed microplastics when worn, washed, and dried, making them a leading source of microplastic pollution globally. Once discarded, these garments don’t biodegrade but rather break into smaller fragments that persist in ecosystems and even human bodies. For example, even well-intentioned clothing donations often end up in places like Chile’s textile mountain or Ghana’s “obroni wawu” (dead white man’s clothes) river.

Compounding the problem, many textiles contain harmful chemicals such as phthalates, PFAS, and lead—sometimes at levels hundreds of times above legal limits, posing risks for both factory workers and wearers.

The Human Cost of Fast Fashion

“Fast fashion is far from cheap—someone, somewhere, is paying the price.”
– Broken Threads & Twisted Yarns: Legislating the Reform of Fashion

Behind the low prices of fast fashion items are unsafe conditions and labor exploitation. In fast fashion factories, workers are often paid pennies per garment—sometimes just $0.02 to $0.06 apiece, translating to less than $6 an hour. Shein employees have reported grueling 18-hour days to meet quotas of 500 garments, with only one day off per month. 

These injustices aren’t just happening abroad—a US Department of Labor investigation found garment workers in Southern California being paid as little as $1.58 an hour.

Policy Solutions on the Horizon

Governments are beginning to respond. Across Europe, reforms are underway to rein in the fashion industry. Emerging policies include: 

• Banning the destruction of unsold clothes and requiring alternatives like donation or repurposing.
• Phasing out toxic “forever chemicals” such as PFAS in apparel.
• Mandating Producer Responsibility to hold textile companies financially accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products.
• Developing required eco-design standards that necessitate labeling on a product’s durability, repairability, recycled content, and supply chain transparency.
• Requiring microfiber filters to be installed in all new washing machines to reduce plastic pollution at the source.

In the United States, reform is moving more slowly, but progress is happening. 

• California passed the first-in-the-nation Responsible Textile Recovery Act in 2024, requiring fashion companies to plan for how their products will be collected, recycled, repaired, and safely managed. They also passed protections for garment workers. 
• New York introduced an Extended Producer Responsibility bill for textiles in 2025 (Senate Bill S3217A) that would require large fashion retailers to map supply chains, disclose impacts, and pay into a remediation fund. 
• California and New York have both also introduced legislation to mandate microfiber filters on washing machines. A similar federal law was introduced in July 2025. 
• California, New York, and Colorado have limited or banned the intentional use of PFAS in textiles and other products. 

How You Can Reduce Your Fashion Footprint

Addressing textile pollution is one party we don’t want to be fashionably late to! Here are simple ways to look good while doing good:

• Choose wisely. Invest in well-constructed staples instead of cheap trends. Remember that while organic fibers are better than plastic fibers, they still have labor and environmental impacts.
• Shop secondhand. Check out local thrift shops and consignment stores. Boulder has a robust thrift and consignment shop scene, from Pig + Pearl (where Eco-Cycle currently brings all the clothing donated at the CHaRM) to Rags Consignment, Arc, Goodwill, and others. Online secondhand stores like Poshmark and ThredUp expand your options.
• Upcycle or repair. Add patches, adjust hems, or refashion old clothes to extend their life. Find inspiration in refashion blogs. 
• Rent or borrow for special occasions. Services like Rent the Runway and Nuuly let you dress up without the waste.
• Recycle responsibly. Use textile recycling programs and avoid dumping clothes into donation bins that may just export waste overseas.

Examples such as the clothing heaps in Chile’s desert show the true cost of disposable fashion. They are stark reminders that while fast fashion makes trends accessible, its legacy is measured in mountains of waste, plastic pollution, and human exploitation.

The post Fast Fashion’s Hidden Peaks: How Our Wardrobes Build Mountains Abroad appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Toxic chemicals don’t belong in the packaging that touches our food—or in our recycling.

This fall, Colorado will set the rules that decide whether producers are rewarded for safe, recyclable packaging—or allowed to keep using harmful chemicals.

Key Dates

• Colorado’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission’s Eco-Modulation Rulemaking
• Public comment period extended to Sunday, September 28, 2025: Act now—this is your chance to weigh in!

Download Eco-Cycle’s Eco-Modulation Factsheet (Note: The deadline was originally September 15, but has been extended.)

Why It Matters

Every day, packaging is the frontline between us and the products we use. Too often, it contains hazardous chemicals—such as lead, cadmium, mercury, PFAS, BPA, and phthalates—that can leach into food, water, and the environment. These substances also contaminate recycling streams, lowering the value of recycled materials and polluting future products.

Out of 16,000 chemicals identified in plastics, 4,200 are hazardous—persistent, toxic, and mobile in the environment. (PlastChem)

This is not just a recycling problem. It’s a health, safety, and economic issue.

We Have an Opportunity to Get Recycling Right

Colorado’s Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Act (HB22-1355) will expand recycling to every household across the state in 2026. Companies that sell packaging in Colorado will begin funding the recycling system—and how much they pay into the system will depend on the type of packaging they produce. This system is called eco-modulation, where producers pay more for wasteful or hard-to-recycle materials and pay less for packaging that’s recyclable or reusable.

What Is Eco-Modulation?

Eco-modulation is a specific financial incentive system that determines how much producers pay into the recycling system by assigning:

• Bonuses: discounts for safer, recyclable designs (or environmentally positive changes in packaging). 
• Penalties (called “Maluses”): extra fees for harmful, wasteful packaging (or environmentally negative changes in packaging)

Right now, draft eco-modulation rules for Colorado don’t explicitly require reducing toxic chemicals in packaging.

>> Colorado’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission’s eco-modulation rulemaking this fall is our chance to ensure that the Commission approves the best possible eco-modulation rules for Colorado’s Producer Responsibility.

What’s at Stake

By reducing toxic chemicals through eco-modulation, Colorado can:

Protect public health. Align with states like California, Maine, Washington, and Minnesota, whose Producer Responsibility programs will cut toxic chemicals. 

Safeguard recycling value. Toxic additives contaminate recycling streams, make materials more difficult to process, and lower their market value—especially for food-grade packaging, where manufacturers need clean, high-quality recycled materials. We can protect the value of recycled materials by cutting toxins in the design phase.

Strengthen markets. Clean, toxin-free recycled material feedstocks are essential for manufacturers. Reducing toxics builds stronger markets and a healthier circular economy.

Lead the nation. With Colorado among the first US states to design eco-modulation rules, our decisions will help set the standard for the entire country and show how Producer Responsibility can protect health, improve recycling, and make safer packaging the norm.

What We’re Asking For

We urge Colorado regulators to:

1. Disallow bonuses for toxic packaging. Producers that intentionally add hazardous chemicals should not be eligible for eco-modulation “bonuses.” 

2. Expand and clarify eco-modulation rules. Eco-modulation rules must reflect the law’s  intent to minimize environmental, social, economic, and health impacts caused by packaging.

3. Define “toxicity” and “intentionally added toxic chemicals.” Regulations should spell out what counts as toxicity and include a list of banned chemicals.

4. Make incentives meaningful. Current draft rules offer just 1% bonuses, and are  capped at 10%—that’s not enough to drive change. Proven systems abroad offer bonuses of 20% or more—Colorado should do the same.

5. Align with existing Colorado laws. Producers that use materials already restricted in Colorado—like expanded polystyrene (banned under HB21-1162) and PFAS (restricted under HB22-1345)—should not qualify for eco-modulation bonuses.

How You Can Help

Your voice is critical. Submit your comment by September 28, 2025, to help Colorado cut toxic chemicals from packaging.

This is a critical moment. The Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission will decide how Colorado will reward (or penalize) packaging design.

Submit your written comment by Sunday, September 28: 

1. Email: EPRcomments@state.co.us

2. Suggested subject line: Support Strong Eco-Modulation & Toxicity Reductions

3. View a sample message you can personalize

Strong eco-modulation rules will protect our health, strengthen recycling markets, and set a model for the nation. Add your voice today—before the September 28 deadline—to make sure packaging in Colorado is designed for safety, not pollution.

The post Act Now: Cut Toxic Chemicals from Packaging in Colorado appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Discover how Eco-Cycle is shaping Colorado’s future with groundbreaking Zero Waste policies—from banning polystyrene to making recycling free and accessible statewide. Learn how your workplace can be a part of lasting environmental change with our expert-led Policy 101 trainings!  

Did you know that for almost a decade, Eco-Cycle has been involved in advocating for statewide legislation to support Zero Waste initiatives in Colorado? Many of these Zero Waste policies are already making a huge impact. 

We want to engage more Coloradans in advocating for change. We’re now offering Policy 101 trainings at your place of work, led by Eco-Cycle’s Director of Policy and Community Campaigns, Randy Moorman, and Senior Policy Advisor Rachel Setzke. These trainings will help staff understand the policy process in Colorado, as well as introduce the Zero Waste bills that are making a difference statewide. 

Eco-Cycle recently led a Policy 101 training for interns at Walking Mountains Science Center, helping future environmental leaders understand the process through which a bill becomes law, and the role we all have to play in advancing Zero Waste legislation NOW that will protect our planet for generations to come.

Catch the Replay

• Watch the recording here!

Read on for some examples of successful Zero Waste policy action that are now law in Colorado.

What You’ll Learn

Thanks to persistent advocacy by organizations like Eco-Cycle and our partners, including Recycle Colorado, CoPIRG, Green Latinos, and others, several landmark Zero Waste bills have become law.

Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (PPRA), 2021

The Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (HB21-1163) made Colorado the first non-coastal state to ban polystyrene takeout containers and implement a statewide ban on plastic checkout bags distributed by large retailers, with a fee on single-use paper bags.

With the passage of this bill, Colorado also became the first state to repeal a law championed by the plastics industry that prohibited local jurisdictions from adopting ordinances that ban plastic items.

Key Impacts:

• Banned polystyrene (Styrofoam) takeout containers statewide.
  
• Banned large retailers in Colorado from distributing plastic checkout bags, and added a mandatory fee on single-use bags to encourage reusable options.
  
• Repealed the prohibition on local plastic bans, allowing cities to lead on plastic waste reduction.

Right to Repair

Colorado made national news by passing three Right to Repair laws, giving consumers the tools to fix their products instead of throwing them away.

These laws cover:

• Powered wheelchairs
  
• Agricultural equipment (like tractors)
  
• Consumer electronics (appliances, phones, computers, HVAC units)

Producer Responsibility for Packaging, 2022

Under our current waste and recycling system, recycling costs fall on residents, businesses, and local governments—communities that have no say in how products are made or how recyclable they are. Producer Responsibility laws shift those costs to manufacturers, incentivizing better, more sustainable product design.

Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Program for Recycling (HB22-1355) was written and championed by Eco-Cycle and passed in 2022. It makes Colorado the first state with a fully producer-funded, statewide recycling system for consumer packaging and paper.

When implemented in 2026, the law will:

• Provide free curbside recycling for all Coloradans
  
• Ensure producers fund recycling education and infrastructure
  
• Charge producers using less packaging, or more recyclable packaging, a smaller fee, incentivizing more sustainable packaging design.

By 2035, this law is expected to:

• Expand recycling to 700,000 more households in Colorado
  
• Divert 720,000 tons of packaging from landfills annually
  
• Reduce emissions equivalent to removing 278,000 cars from the road

Who Should Request a Policy 101 Training?

• People who want to effect change
• Organizations that want to learn more about Zero Waste policy in Colorado

Let’s talk! We may be able to provide Zero Waste resources and education in your community or workplace. Contact randy@ecocycle.org to learn more.

The post Eco-Cycle Could Teach Zero Waste Policy 101 in Your Workplace appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

New rules are critical to reduce potent greenhouse gases, protecting communities from harmful pollution.

(Denver, CO – July 14, 2025) – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Eco-Cycle submitted a prehearing statement underscoring the critical importance of the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission’s ongoing rulemaking process to establish stronger methane and air pollution controls on landfills. This rulemaking presents a vital opportunity to address a major source of climate pollution using commonsense measures that protect communities across Colorado.

Colorado has some of the largest landfills in the country, with many located near major population centers and disproportionately impacted communities. Landfills are Colorado’s third-largest source of methane—a potent climate pollutant with over 80 times the near-term warming power of carbon dioxide—and are likewise a source of other harmful air pollutants.

“Colorado has an important opportunity to set leading standards for landfill methane. Landfill pollution requires immediate action, and we urge the adoption of the most protective and effective rules, integrating commonsense solutions like advanced monitoring technologies to secure a healthier future for our climate and communities,” said Edwin LaMair, Senior Attorney at Environmental Defense Fund.

The proposed methane regulations aim to require operators to capture pollution using gas collection systems, more robustly monitor for emissions and leaks, and adopt other commonsense measures already required by other states. Once finalized, these standards will reduce pollution that destabilizes the climate and contributes to smog and other health-harming air pollution. 

“Stronger methane regulations are vital to minimizing the environmental impact of landfills,” said Suzanne Jones, Executive Director of Eco-Cycle. “These new rules would prioritize public health and climate protection, providing a critical complement to sustainable waste management practices that reduce the amount of organic material going to landfills in the first place.”

Landfill methane emissions have often been underestimated, with many landfills exhibiting large, persistent leaks. In addition to contributing significantly to global warming, landfill methane is co-emitted with hazardous air pollutants like benzene, toluene, and vinyl chloride that can harm human health and air quality. 

Learn more at ecocycle.org/landfill-methane.

The post EDF, Eco-Cycle Urge Robust Colorado Landfill Methane Rulemaking for Climate, Public Health appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Eco-Cycle recently wrapped up another successful legislative session, successfully advocating for bills that move Colorado toward Zero Waste. Whether supporting forward-thinking bills or opposing harmful ones, our work with state representatives helps advance policy solutions that support our vision of a world where we consume less, recycle and compost more, and keep fossil fuels and other natural resources in the ground. 

Eco-Cycle’s success at the Capitol depends on strong partnerships—with elected leaders, community groups, and  engaged people like you, including our network of volunteer Eco-Leaders!

Here’s a look at the key Zero Waste bills Eco-Cycle took action on during the 2025 legislative session, and why they matter: 

Huge first step for battery recycling in Colorado!

Signed by the governor! Senate Bill 25-163: Battery Stewardship Programs. Batteries contain valuable minerals that should be recovered to conserve energy, protect natural resources, and strengthen our economy. Yet, Colorado currently recycles just 5% of loose small- and medium-format batteries. Additionally, improperly disposed batteries are a leading cause of fires in waste and recycling facilities. Despite the environmental importance of recovering these materials—and the serious safety risks posed by improper disposal—many Coloradans still lack convenient access to safe, responsible battery recycling.

Eco-Cycle and a coalition of partners championed Senate Bill 25-163 to make battery recycling accessible to all Coloradans. By 2028, companies that sell small- and medium-format removable batteries in Colorado—including button batteries, AAA through D cells, power tools, and e-bike batteries—will be required to fund and implement a statewide collection and recycling program. The system will be managed by a producer-run Battery Stewardship Organization (BSO) and overseen by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The BSO will reimburse service providers to safely collect, transport, and recycle batteries.

Supporting food donation—a valuable step toward food security and diverting organics from landfills

Signed by the governor! House Bill 25-1166: Efforts to Reduce Food Waste aligns Colorado’s date labeling practices with California’s 2024 law to encourage food donation and reduce wasted food. Eco-Cycle supported this bill in partnership with food rescue organizations. It requires prepared foods—like those from deli counters—to use “best if used or frozen by” labels instead of “sell by,” reducing confusion about when food should be consumed or donated. The bill also expands Good Samaritan liability protections to more organizations, encouraging safe food donation. This is a meaningful step toward addressing food insecurity and keeping edible food out of landfills, where it would otherwise generate methane.

Tax code update will incentivize agricultural compost usage

Signed by the governor! Senate Bill 25-026: Adjusting Certain Tax Expenditures. This law extends a sales tax exemption for the purchase of wholesale “agricultural compounds” to include compost and mulch rather than only synthetic fertilizers. Making wholesale purchases of compost and mulch tax-exempt could save agricultural users significant money. It can also incentivize the use of compost, which helps rebuild soil health—unlike synthetic fertilizers. SB25-026 was supported by the Colorado Compost Council as well as by testimony from Eco-Cycle’s Director of Compost and Carbon Farming, Rutger Meyer.

Protecting Progress: Defeating Bills that Threatened Previous Wins 

Successfully defeated! A number of bills were introduced—and defeated—this year that claimed to “save Coloradans money” by eliminating fees. Two of the fees targeted through House Bill 25-1051 and Senate Bill 25-139 were from laws Eco-Cycle and our partners championed, and which cost very little to individuals while providing millions of dollars toward recycling, composting, reuse, and other sustainability programs in our state. The fees, which we successfully defended, include:

• The Plastic Pollution Reduction Act single-use bag fee that has successfully shifted consumer behavior toward reuse and eliminated over a billion single-use bags in Colorado. Customers can avoid this fee by bringing reusable bags instead of purchasing single-use bags. 
• The Colorado Circular Communities (C3) fee, based on the tons of material “tipped” at landfills, which goes into a fund to provide free technical support to local governments, as well as grants to governments, businesses, nonprofits, and schools, to further waste reduction and diversion.

Our work doesn’t end with the successful passage of laws. As the legislative session ends, we shift our focus to the details of implementing the laws we helped pass—and begin strategizing for next year’s session. Individual bills are often part of a multi-pronged, multiyear strategy that may include additional supporting legislation, local policy action, outreach and education, and on-the-ground work.

So stay tuned—there’s more legislative action to come! Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get updates delivered straight to your inbox at ecocycle.org/get-involved/subscribe.

The post Colorado Legislation in 2025 That Will Move the State Closer to Zero Waste appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

What is the most overlooked source of methane? Our trash. When sent to landfills, food and other organic materials like paper products, wood, and yard trimmings decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) and release large amounts of methane.

The harms caused by methane extend beyond climate impacts. Communities located near landfills, often low-income and predominantly people of color, face disproportionate health risks from landfill methane emissions. These include exposure to hazardous air pollutants like benzene and toluene, which are linked to respiratory problems and cancer.

Championing Stronger Methane Regulations in Colorado

Eco-Cycle is advocating for the adoption of stringent landfill methane regulations in Colorado, in collaboration with groups like Industrious Labs, the Environmental Defense Fund, Healthy Air and Water Colorado, and many others. This coalition is leading the charge in championing the adoption of strong, nation-first landfill methane regulations by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Strong rules would require:

• Comprehensive landfill gas capture systems,
• Robust monitoring, and 
• Enforceable emissions standards.

Why do we need stronger methane regulations?

Industrious Labs’s report, “The Hidden Cost of Landfills,” highlights that many landfills exceed federal methane limits, with 711 recorded violations across 29 sites. At 48% of these sites, methane levels were higher than reported by operators, indicating significant underreporting.

In Colorado, landfills emitted over 6.2 million metric tons of methane in 2022, surpassing emissions from coal mining. Communities near landfills, such as those in Commerce City, Fort Collins, and Erie, experience elevated health risks due to proximity to these sites.

Composting: A Scalable, Circular Climate Solution

Even the best methane capture systems are a partial fix. A far more impactful solution lies upstream: reducing organic discards generated, composting what we can’t avoid, and applying compost to landscapes to build healthy soils that draw down and store carbon.

Step 1: Reduce Organic Waste

Prevention is the most effective strategy. This includes upstream interventions like improving food supply chains, educating consumers, and creating efficient paths to food redistribution. Less organic waste means fewer emissions.

Step 2: Compost What Remains

As we expand compost infrastructure and services, we can divert more organic materials from landfills and transform them into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Unlike anaerobic landfill decomposition, composting is an aerobic process that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions.

It also creates green jobs, supports local agriculture, and builds community-scale circular economies.

Step 3: Apply Compost to Soils for Carbon Sequestration

Here’s how composting helps increase climate mitigation: when applied to soil, compost enhances microbial activity, increases water retention, and most crucially, draws carbon from the atmosphere into stable and beneficial forms in the soil.

Composting: A Climate and Environmental Justice Solution

Composting isn’t just about diverting food scraps from the trash. It’s about shifting from a linear, polluting waste economy to a circular, regenerative model that restores soils, protects communities, and draws down atmospheric carbon.

In this era of climate acceleration, composting offers a grounded, science-backed, and justice-centered response to one of our most under-recognized sources of emissions. It’s time we stop throwing away that opportunity.

Learn more at: ecocycle.org/composting-and-carbon-farming

The post How Composting Can Dig Us Out of the Landfill Methane Crisis appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

On April 22, 1970, twenty million Americans took to the streets for the very first Earth Day, demanding action on environmental degradation. Recycling became a significant aspect of the movement, with community-led recycling events inviting people to bring in glass, paper, and other recyclables for collection.

It’s no surprise that recycling played such a central role early in the environmental movement. Recycling is more than a waste solution—it’s a way to restore a more harmonious relationship with the planet and protect the health of communities.

Despite public support for recycling, recycling systems across the US have been underfunded and under-utilized for decades. Thankfully, new policies are on the rise—including in Colorado—that improve access, increase efficiency, and ensure that recycling actually works the way it’s supposed to. 

Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Program for Paper and Packaging

Colorado’s recycling and composting rate has hovered around 15% for years, less than half the national average of 32%. But change is coming!

Colorado’s new Producer Responsibility law for packaging and paper will make recycling free for all Coloradans when it is fully implemented in 2026. Under this law, producers will be held accountable for managing the end-of-life disposal (including recycling) of their products. Beyond expanding recycling access, the policy offers key benefits, including:

• Encouraging manufacturers to design more sustainable, less toxic, and easily recyclable packaging and products.
• Shifting recycling costs from individuals and local governments to producers.

This law applies to all consumer-facing packaging, including:

• Bottles, cans, containers, boxes, and mailers
• Printed paper
• Food service packaging

A standardized statewide list of recyclable materials will also be established, ensuring consistent recycling guidelines across Colorado in 2026.

A Multi-State Producer Responsibility Program in Action

In addition to the upcoming Producer Responsibility Program for Paper and Packaging, Colorado has an existing Producer Responsibility law that mandates paint recycling. Rather than leaving the disposal of leftover paint up to the public, paint stewardship laws require manufacturers to take the lead. Launched in Oregon in 2009, PaintCare is a nonprofit that helps paint producers manage unused paint responsibly. Since Colorado joined the program in 2015, residents have gained access to hundreds of convenient drop-off sites, keeping millions of gallons of paint out of landfills and out of our waterways.

How does this Producer Responsibility program work? A small fee added to every new can of paint covers the cost of collection and recycling—shifting the burden away from taxpayers. Today, PaintCare operates in 11 states, including Colorado, California, Minnesota, and most recently, Illinois. It’s a powerful example of how smart policy can protect the planet and make recycling simple for everyone!

On the Horizon: Battery Recycling Stewardship

This year, Eco-Cycle partnered with Senator Lisa Cutter and Representatives Kyle Brown and Rebekah Stewart to champion Senate Bill 25-163—a groundbreaking proposal to create a Producer Responsibility program for small- and medium-format batteries, including button cells, AAs, e-bike, and power tool batteries. The proposed bill would have required producers to pay for battery collection sites across the state so that the valuable materials in the batteries can be conveniently and safely collected and recycled back into new batteries.  

Unfortunately, SB25-163 cannot be passed this legislative session, but we are urging legislators to consider Producer Responsibility for batteries in the next session, as it is critical to solving multiple environmental and safety issues, including:

Recovering Valuable Materials

Rechargeable batteries contain lithium, an essential material powering the clean energy transition. But extracting lithium comes with a steep environmental cost. Recycling it reduces the need for new mining and keeps toxic materials out of the waste stream. 

Preventing Fires and Protecting Worker Safety

Improperly disposed-of lithium batteries are a leading cause of fires in recycling and waste operations, with Colorado seeing a 41% increase in battery-related fires in the past five years. These fires pose serious risks to workers and can ignite in hauling trucks or on facility floors, driving up recycling and waste management costs.

The Future of Producer Responsibility 

It’s clear that real, lasting change happens when responsibility for sustainable resource management is shared. By holding producers accountable, we’re not just improving recycling—we’re reimagining our entire relationship with waste.

• Keep up-to-date on Zero Waste legislation—sign up here to receive policy updates from Eco-Cycle straight to your inbox!

The post Strengthening Recycling for a Healthier People and Planet appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Eco-Cycle is a founding member of the Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR), which published a clarifying response to a recent New York Times piece that claimed recycling is a lie. The AMBR response sets the record straight—recycling is not a lie, but misinformation about it certainly is. Read AMBR’s response here. 

On a local level, we want to highlight Eco-Cycle’s efforts to ensure that the recyclable materials we collect and process from local communities in Boulder County go to responsible end markets in North America. As the contracted operator of the Boulder County Recycling Center (BCRC), Eco-Cycle does not ship BCRC–recycled material all around the world. Transporting materials long distances is expensive and uses more fuel, creating more greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, we prioritize using domestic and regional end–markets, and actively work to support more businesses in Colorado, and regionally, that use recycled materials in their products so we can market materials as locally as possible. 

The Truth About Plastics: What’s Recyclable and What Needs to Go 

Eco-Cycle believes it is crucial to reduce plastic production, which comes from fossil fuels, beginning with the elimination of the most unnecessary, toxic, and non-recyclable plastics—specifically, #3 polyvinyl chloride (PVC), #6 polystyrene (PS), and #7 polycarbonate (PC). We do not accept these plastics at the BCRC, and thankfully they represent only a small fraction of incoming material at the facility.  

We have long urged consumers not to purchase products or packaging made from #3, #6, or #7 plastic resins, because, in addition to being toxic to produce, they lack viable end markets to purchase them and turn them into something new; if any of these plastics mistakenly are put into recycling bins that come to the BCRC, these plastic materials are sent to the local landfill as trash. The plastics that we DO take for recycling are the least toxic and most recyclable plastics: bottles, tubs, jugs, jars, clamshells, and some rigid plastics labeled #1 PETE, #2 HDPE, or #5 PP.  These materials are baled and shipped to thoroughly vetted markets—some in Colorado, and some in the Southeastern US—where they are further sorted, cleaned, shredded, and then melted down into plastic pellets or “nurdles” that are used as feedstock for new plastic products. For more information, see Eco-Cycle’s guide to problematic plastics.  

Responsible and Ethical Recycling for Electronics 

Regarding electronic scrap (or e-scrap), Eco-Cycle is committed to ensuring we are not contributing to “garbage imperialism” impacting the Global South but instead are responsibly managing the recycling of e-scrap and supporting authentic recycling that is truly circular and reduces environmental and social justice impacts. To that end, Eco-Cycle collects computers, phones, televisions and other e-scrap at the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) located at 6400 Arapahoe Road in Boulder.   

At the CHaRM, like countless other responsible electronics recycling facilities across the US, we rely on a well-established certification body to ensure NOTHING we collect for recycling is exported. This certification, known as eStewards, is managed by the Basel Action Network, an NGO that actively supports the United States’ adoption of the Basel Convention of the United Nations. This important agreement, unsigned by the US, mandates that developed nations cannot “export harm” to developing nations. To achieve this, eStewards are required to thoroughly audit and document all downstream pathways and markets for their materials. In addition to a rigorous export ban, eSteward certification mandates NAID certification to ensure no data is at risk of falling into the wrong hands or of being otherwise compromised. Other recycled electronics are sorted and disassembled into separate different materials and components. Valuable materials, such as metals and plastics, are recovered for reuse or recycling. Hazardous materials, like those found in screens and circuit boards, are safely removed and handled according to industry standards. Eco-Cycle offers a service that provides a formal “Certificate of Destruction” for data-bearing devices.  
 
We ensure that all e-scrap we collect goes to e-Steward certified end markets, which uphold the highest ethical standards for recycling electronics. We urge all consumers to make sure that they are only patronizing e-Steward certified facilities when they dispose of their electronics.  

Want to ensure you’re making a difference with your recycling? Get clear answers to your local recycling questions by exploring our FAQs.

The post Eco-Cycle’s Local Response: The Truth About Recycling in Boulder County appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

This content was originally published March 12, 2025, on the Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling website.

Every few months, another news outlet—most recently The New York Times—publishes a  “gotcha” headline claiming that recycling doesn’t work. That assertion is entirely false. While it may be an effective strategy for getting clicks, these misleading claims do a great disservice to us all. 

As recyclers, we know recycling works. We also intimately understand that recycling as a system needs investments and improvements. The solution to the waste crisis isn’t to give up on recycling. Instead, we need strong policy on every front, including global limits on plastic production through a strong global plastics treaty. 

Recycling Works

As recyclers, we collect and sort thousands of tons of recyclables every day. Each day, we sell these materials to responsible end markets and manufacturers that turn those valuable materials into new products—supporting our domestic supply chain and keeping natural resources in the ground instead of their being needlessly extracted.

That’s why we know the real lie is in these misleading headlines.

What is a responsible end market?

A responsible end market is a processor or manufacturer that ensures recyclables are managed in an environmentally and socially responsible way. This means:

• Transparency & Traceability: There is a clear, verifiable chain of custody showing where materials go and how they are used.
• Environmental Integrity: Materials are actually recycled into new products rather than landfilled, incinerated, or illegally dumped.
• Local or Regional Processing: Whenever possible, materials are processed domestically or in facilities that meet environmental regulations.
• Ethical Labor Practices: The market does not rely on exploitative labor conditions or unsafe work environments.

Waste Colonialism Continues to Assault Communities

While Alexander Clapp’s NYT article had the destructive and misleading headline that “the story you’ve been told about recycling is a lie,”  he tells a broader story that is observably current, devastating, and true. Waste colonialism is alive and well, and we must confront it. 

Beyond the headline, you’ll find some important truths: 

• Our linear economy of resource extraction, production, consumption, and waste disposal is failing the planet, people, and future generations; 
• We must reduce plastic production and overall consumption while investing in reuse systems; 
• We need to keep natural resources in use longer by reusing, repairing, and recycling more materials—rather than sending them to incinerators, landfills, or unregulated markets in the Global South.   

For decades, the plastic industry has used the promise of recycling to give brands cover and consumers confidence in their toxic packaging, which is overwhelming our oceans and environment. They stamp misleading recycling labels on products that were never designed to be recycled. Late last year, California Attorney General Bonta sued ExxonMobil for lying about recycling’s potential to solve the plastic pollution crisis it created. Under consumer pressure to take responsibility for their products, the industry has revived dirty, outdated 20th-century petrochemical processes that mostly turn high-grade plastic scrap into low-grade bunker fuel. They have cleverly rebranded this as “advanced recycling,” but, in truth, it is neither advanced nor recycling. It is simply a desperate and costly attempt to distract us with the hope of technological innovation to justify their continued extraction, waste, and harm.

This is especially true with post-consumer plastic where only #1 PETE and #2 HDPE bottles, tubs, jugs, jars, and sometimes #5 PP containers and lids are consistently recycled in the US. The plastic industry’s ongoing efforts to create “pathways” to recycling for chip bags, food pouches, and other soft plastic packaging is indeed the next big lie.

The Solution to Waste Colonialism Isn’t Less Recycling: We Need Strong Limits on Plastic Production and Infrastructure Investments

We cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis, nor will we solve it with sham technologies. We cannot let the plastics industry hide behind deflective media campaigns that dupe the public. We must agree to create meaningful change on a global scale with a Global Plastics Treaty that: 

• Prioritizes plastic reduction and the elimination of the most problematic toxics from production and circulation.
• Transitions production systems toward reuse and refill systems to ensure the highest and best use of the natural resources we do extract.
• Prioritizes environmental justice and just transition, protecting the health and safety of those on the frontlines of the waste crisis.
• Ensures that products are designed for true recyclability, using materials with responsible and reliable end markets.
• Holds producers accountable for the life cycle of their products and supports recycling infrastructure to ensure equal access for all communities.
• Supports investments in stronger recycling infrastructure for materials like textiles, electronics, and other hard-to-recycle items.

The real lie isn’t recycling—it’s the petrochemical industry-driven narrative that shifts blame onto consumers or recyclers while protecting corporate polluters. Recycling is a critical part of the solution, but it must be in the context of a larger strategy that reduces plastic production, holds producers accountable, and invests in authentic, transparent reuse and recycling systems. The next meeting to negotiate the Global Plastics Treaty is expected to take place in August 2025. This is our opportunity to demand bold action. The world can’t afford more distraction and delay—we need systemic change now.

• Read our follow-up piece, Eco-Cycle’s Local Response: The Truth About Recycling in Boulder County

The post AMBR’s Response: Lies About Lies About Recycling appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Colorado’s combined recycling and composting rate has remained steady at around 15% for years, which is less than half the national average of 32%. To increase this rate, Coloradans urgently need better access to recycling. Colorado’s Producer Responsibility program (sometimes called Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR) program for packaging and paper will begin to implement the roll-out of no-cost recycling access for all Coloradans in 2026.

Eco-Cycle has been actively involved in shaping Colorado’s Producer Responsibility laws. In partnership with Recycle Colorado and other allies, we’ve helped draft, advocate for, and now implement these policies. Eco-Cycle is uniquely positioned to drive impactful Zero Waste policies, drawing from both our hands-on experience educating residents about recycling and Zero Waste, and our direct role in collecting and processing materials at the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) and the Boulder County Recycling Center.

Colorado’s Producer Responsibility for Packaging and Paper Incentivizes Better Packaging Design 

Colorado’s Producer Responsibility law for packaging and paper requires producers to take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products. In addition to expanded recycling access, key benefits of the policy include:

• Creating incentives for manufacturers to design more sustainable, less toxic, and more easily recyclable products and packaging; and 
• Shifting the costs of recycling from individuals and local governments to producers.

The law applies to all consumer-facing packaging, so it includes:  

• Bottles, cans, containers, boxes, and mailers; 
• Printed paper; and
• Food service packaging. 

Additionally, a statewide list of recyclable materials will be established, meaning recycling guidelines will be the same throughout the state.

Curious how the new Producer Responsibility will change recycling for Coloradans?

We’ve got answers! Earlier this month, Eco-Cycle hosted a webinar on Colorado’s Producer Responsibility laws both for packaging and printed paper and architectural paint as well as the bill we’re advocating for in the legislature right now that will set up a system for battery collection and recycling throughout the state. 

• If you missed the webinar, you can view it on our YouTube channel. Below are a few highlights from the webinar, including how you can get involved. 

Producer Responsibility Means Recycling for All Coloradans, Paid for by Packaging Producers

The key benefit of Producer Responsibility for Colorado residents is expanded recycling services to all single- and multifamily homes, funded by producers—not taxpayers. This includes infrastructure improvements to make recycling collection as convenient as trash collection. By 2028, the program is also required to provide recycling services to some non-residential entities which could include schools, small businesses, and government buildings across the state. Residents must be given opportunity and access to recycle, but they are not required to do so. 

Cost and Funding: The program is 100% producer-funded, with producers paying based on the type and amount of packaging they put into the market. Fees will be just fractions of a penny per package, with lower fees for easier-to-recycle packaging to drive more sustainable design. Decades of similar programs worldwide show that Producer Responsibility laws do not increase consumer prices, as product costs are driven by much larger factors like labor, fuel, supply chain expenses, etc. In fact, Colorado residents who currently pay for recycling services will save money, as those costs will be covered by the program. Those without recycling services will receive them for no cost.

Timeline: This February, the implementation plan for the program was completed by the Producer Responsibility Organization, composed of producers that sell packaging and/or paper into the state. This plan is now under review by a State-appointed advisory board representing communities, environmental groups, recycling experts, and others. The plan will ultimately be reviewed and approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the program is expected to launch in early 2026. 

Colorado’s Current and Proposed Producer Responsibility Policies:

Colorado already has one Producer Responsibility law in place, with a second under consideration.

• PASSED: In 2014, Producer Responsibility for architectural paint was passed, creating a program to provide convenient collections so that at least 95% of Colorado residents have a permanent collection facility within a 15-mile radius of their home and yearly collection events in areas without drop-off sites. This is paid for through a small point-of-sale fee when paint is purchased. This program successfully collects more than 800,000 gallons of paint every year, the majority of which is recycled or reused. Without this program, local governments would have to fund paint collections or deal with paint improperly disposed of in sewer systems or by other means.
• PROPOSED: In 2025, a Producer Responsibility program for small- and medium-format batteries—including button batteries, toy batteries like AA and others, and e-bike and power tool batteries—has been introduced and is currently being heard in the state legislature. Batteries improperly disposed of in recycling or trash are a leading source of fires in waste and recycling operations​. This proposed bill would require producers to pay for battery collection sites across the state so that the valuable materials in the batteries can be safely collected and recycled back into new batteries. 

How to Get Involved

If you’re ready to support Zero Waste in Colorado, here’s how to get involved: 

• Become an Eco-Leader​! Learn more and sign up here. As an Eco-Leader, you can sign up for the Policy Action Team to be in the loop to take legislative and policy action​, and get involved with other Zero Waste policies in Colorado, like:​
  • Plastic Pollution Reduction Act implementation​
  • Truth in Compostables Labeling implementation​
  • Landfill Methane Emission rulemaking​
  • Battery Stewardship

You can learn much more about product stewardship and Zero Waste by watching our recent webinar!

The post Colorado’s Landmark Producer Responsibility Laws: What They Mean for Recycling and Zero Waste in the State appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

As we explored in From Land to Table to Landfill Part 1: An Analysis of the Plastic Fork’s Life Cycle, creating plastic begins with fracked gas—a fossil fuel that requires intensive extraction processes. From there, it’s refined in facilities that consume energy, emit pollutants, and contaminate local water supplies, affecting entire communities. And for what? A disposable fork is used for just minutes before it’s discarded—usually contributing to the growing pile of waste in landfills, or worse, to be incinerated or end up in the environment. Plastic forks (and most single-use plastics) aren’t recyclable, leaving us with an ongoing environmental burden for something we barely even think about.

Why isn’t my plastic fork recyclable?

For something to be recycled, it must meet the following criteria: 

• It must be designed for recovery. Some standards are also needed to ensure compatibility of the product lines for recycling (e.g., all plastic forks would be made of the same plastic resin). Right now, forks are made of two resins—polystyrene and polyethylene—which are molecularly different. Their odd shape also makes it difficult for sorting equipment at recycling facilities to separate them from other materials. 
• There must be end markets, ideally created by the industry producing the item, that buy back the recycled material and are transparent about what products the material will be made into. (For example, a market that wants to buy and actually recycle plastic forks. This currently does not exist.)
• The material must be high quality enough to be recycled multiple times, even infinitely, as is the case with glass, steel, and aluminum. 
• There must be cost-effective value to efficiently collect, sort, and ship the material—the sale of the material must be greater than these processing costs. There must also be sufficient market value for the material that is high enough to incentivize the market to buy and use the recycled material for remanufacturing. 

Worse still, if you do put your plastic fork in the recycling cart, due to its size, it may end up getting mixed in with other streams of recyclable material and contaminating them, driving down the quality of the material and increasing processing costs. 

What About Biodegradable Plastic Forks, or Plastics Made of Compostable Material? 

“Biodegradable plastics” are actually a greenwashing product. They typically refer to plastic products made from both plant and synthetic material. They are even worse than fully plastic utensils because when the plant component breaks down, the synthetic elements of the fork remain and become microplastics, which are so small they easily move into our water, soils, foods, and even bodies. These plastics are not recyclable with other recyclable plastics like #1 PET and #2 HDPE because the plant components of the plastic weaken the durability of the remanufactured plastic. 

Certified compostables are, in theory, better than synthetic plastic, though they take an enormous amount of water and typically petrochemicals and polluting fertilizers to grow the monocrop that is used for their manufacture. But they should not be landfilled (or even worse—recycled!). They are designed to be sent to a dedicated compost facility that accepts these types of products. 

We currently do not have composting infrastructure available at scale throughout the country to facilitate their widespread use, nor the consumer awareness to ensure the right materials end up in the right bins. 

We also do not have widespread labeling standards for packaging (though we do now have a Compostable Product Labeling Law in Colorado!), so there is currently a lot of misleading branding and greenwashing that is very confusing for consumers to follow. In states without a labeling bill, items may be labeled “plant-based,” “biodegradable,” or “eco-friendly,” for example. None of these labels reliably indicates if the product is certified as compostable.

Finally, any single-use item—whether certified compostable or bound for the landfill—uses many resources and harms many communities when made, and is generally used for only a few minutes. 

How do we have our cake and fork, and eat it, too—without harming people and the planet? Simple: Reuse. 

Reuse Is the Best Option!

Reuse is always the best option—economically and environmentally. Eco-Cycle’s Sustainable Serviceware Guide reports the average savings for small businesses switching to reusables is between $3,000 and $22,000 annually! 

Choosing a reusable fork over a single-use fork, and other single-use products, saves water, reduces the amount of plastics ending up in our environment and water bodies, and reduces harm caused to people and places throughout the item’s life cycle.  

So, next time you throw a party or go out to eat, consider a reusable fork over single-use!

The post From Land to Table to Landfill Part 2: The Downstream Impacts of a Plastic Fork appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Here’s what Denver residents need to know to keep up with the recent changes in the city’s recycling, composting, and waste collection program:

Most Compost Carts to Be Delivered by the End of March

If you requested a compost cart by January 10, Denver’s on track to provide your compost cart.

Recycling Goes Biweekly

Recycling now happens every other week, freeing up city resources to expand composting services. To maximize your recycling bin cart space, make sure to break down cardboard boxes. If needed, you can request an extra recycling cart starting in April 2025.

Large Item Pickup Throughout the Year

Large item collection now happens every 9 weeks, and you can toss out up to 10 bags and 5 large items per collection. Large items are bulky items that are safe for disposal but cannot fit in a trash cart. Acceptable items include:

• Furniture
• Large toys
• Non-electric bicycles
• Rugs
• Exercise equipment
• Bundled branches (no more than 4 ft. in length and 4 inches in diameter)
• Mattresses and box springs (must be bagged and wrapped)

Items not accepted for Large Item Pickup include:

• Electronic waste
• Construction materials (including concrete, bricks, fencing, and pallets)
• Automotive materials
• Unbundled branches, stumps, dirt, and sod
• Commercial and industrial waste
• Hazardous materials (including paint, batteries, and tires)
• Appliances
• Loose trash

Check this schedule for Large Item Pickup collection dates for your residence.

Stay Connected and Make a Difference

The Denver Trash and Recycling app (download on Google Play or the App Store) has collection reminders and schedules. Plus, the Wastewise newsletter is your go-to for all the details on service changes.

These changes reflect Denver’s commitment to cutting waste and hitting ambitious sustainability goals. By recycling smarter, composting more, and fully utilizing the city’s Zero Waste services, Denver residents will see our collective impact grow!

Visit Denvergov.org/compost to learn more.

The post New Changes to Denver’s Waste Collection System: What You Need to Know appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Key Takeaways:

• The Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR), cofounded by Eco-Cycle, sent a delegation to the fifth round of negotiations for the global plastics treaty in Busan, South Korea.
  
• AMBR representatives pushed back against recycling being positioned as the solution to the plastics crisis, advocating for global limits on plastics production and against false solutions like chemical recycling (also referred to as “advanced recycling”).
  
• The negotiations did not result in a final treaty as planned, and another round of negotiations will be held in 2025.
  
• The plastics crisis affects all people, communities, and ecosystems globally and must be addressed through international actions, like the treaty, and local efforts, like Eco-Cycle’s work to reduce single-use plastics in Colorado.

At the end of November, more than 3,300 delegates, including representatives from more than 170 nations and observers from upwards of 440 organizations, gathered in Busan, Republic of Korea, for the fifth round of negotiations to develop a global plastics treaty to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

The Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR), an organization cofounded by Eco-Cycle, participated in the negotiations. AMBR brings together some of the nation’s first mission-driven recycling organizations, including Eco-Cycle, to advance a shared vision worldwide. Together, we advocate for keeping natural resources in the ground, eliminating waste and pollution, and ensuring all products are reused, refilled, recycled, or composted.

Recycling Is Not the Answer to the Global Plastics Crisis

At the negotiations, AMBR colleagues met with US legislative leaders, fellow advocates within the global Break Free From Plastic movement, and representatives of the petrochemical and packaging industries.

Our message: Recycling is NOT the solution to the global plastics crisis.

As Boulder County’s recycling operator since 1976, it may seem ironic that Eco-Cycle is advocating against recycling as the solution. However, decades of experience building Zero Waste communities illustrate both the opportunities and limitations of recycling in tackling the plastics crisis.

While recycling is essential to a Zero Waste, circular economy, it cannot solve the plastics crisis alone. The massive volume of plastic produced, its toxic composition, and the lack of demand for recycled materials from the plastics industry make it impossible to recycle our way out of the crisis.

False solutions such as chemical or “advanced” recycling also exacerbate the problem. These carbon-intensive technologies worsen climate change and fail to address the root causes of the plastics crisis. Eco-Cycle has consistently and vigorously opposed chemical recycling, from local advocacy in Colorado to AMBR’s work on the global stage.

Why a Global Plastics Treaty Matters to Coloradans

While these negotiations happened on the other side of the globe, and ocean plastics are identified as a top concern, the outcomes could benefit communities everywhere, even in landlocked Colorado, by reducing single-use plastics, toxic chemicals, pollution, and plastic waste exported overseas.

If successful, the treaty could lead to: 

Limiting Plastic Production

A global treaty could lead to less unnecessary plastic packaging in our stores and restaurants. The Bridge to Busan declaration, signed by 85 countries ahead of the negotiations, calls for clear limits on plastics production. Eco-Cycle and AMBR support these provisions and advocate for strict limits on plastic production.

Studies demonstrate that plastics production equals plastic pollution. There can be no successful solution to plastic pollution without first limiting the outpour of plastics being produced.

Phasing Out Toxic Plastics

Plastic packaging could become safer. Many countries are also demanding the phase-out of the most harmful plastic products and chemicals used to produce plastics. Locally, Eco-Cycle and the Boulder County Recycling Center stopped accepting some of the most toxic and non-recyclable plastics like #3 PVC, #6 PS, and #7 PC. These materials are harmful, rarely recyclable, and have little to no market value.

Eco-Cycle has also helped implement Colorado policies banning #6 polystyrene food and beverage containers and incentivizing recyclable packaging. AMBR partners in California and Minnesota are introducing similar measures, showing the nationwide potential of these efforts.

Even the packaging industry agrees that some plastics and additives are so bad they should be eliminated! 

A Return to Reuse

Remember when coffee shops served “for here” orders in ceramic mugs, or when milk came in glass bottles? A successful treaty could bring back reusable systems. AMBR is advocating for treaty provisions supporting reuse models, such as producer-return systems or refillable containers. We’re already seeing these systems piloted (again) in the United States, including by our fellow AMBR founder Recycle Ann Arbor, which is testing the viability of reusable packaging with recovery supported by their recycling facility.

Reducing US Plastic Waste Overseas

The US produces and wastes more plastic than any other nation by far. We lead the world in plastics production, making about 286 pounds of plastics per person in one year. And that amount is predicted to increase. Some new rules have prevented the global plastic waste trade. In 2018, China passed the National Sword policy, banning the import of most plastics, stating they no longer wanted to be the “world’s garbage dump.” Furthermore, the Basel Convention developed in 2019 placed strict limits on plastic waste from rich countries being exported to poor countries (though of the 180 nations that signed the agreement, the US was not among them). 

These global policy changes have had an impact: US exports of plastic waste to poorer countries have been declining. But far too much of our plastic waste is still ending up overseas. The US still sends more than 220,000,000 lb (or 100,000,000 kilograms) of plastic waste overseas each year, disproportionately affecting countries lacking the infrastructure to manage it effectively.

A global treaty could build on these policies and their reach by further limiting waste exports and providing financial support to recipient nations to manage plastic waste sustainably. Simplifying the global plastics trade would reduce environmental and human harm worldwide.

Sign up here to receive alerts on how you can support a global plastics treaty and help reduce plastics in Colorado!

The post When Is Recycling Not the Answer? appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

What does it take to create a plastic fork—the kind used for a few minutes at a party? To understand, we must go back over 65 million years, to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Decomposed plants and animals from that era, subjected to immense pressure and heat, transformed into natural gas—a finite resource at the heart of modern plastic production.

Plastic forks, like many single-use items, are made from petrochemicals derived from natural gas. These ancient resources, once extracted, cannot be replaced. Yet, in a culture of disposability, we convert them into products that are often discarded after mere minutes, harming people and the planet throughout their life cycle. 

Let’s break down the life cycle and impact of a disposable plastic fork step by step!

STEP 1: Extracting the Gas

Oil and gas are extracted from deep within the Earth, from either large rock-bound chambers or small pores embedded in rock formations. While extraction from small pores in rocks was previously cost-prohibitive, federal subsidies and advancing technology reduced the cost and allowed fracking to explode in the early 2000s. Fracking now accounts for over 75% of US oil and gas production.

“The superabundance of fracked gases has turned the US into the global engine of plastics production.”
– The New Coal: Plastics and Climate Change, Beyond Plastics

The Harm: Living near fracking wells has been linked to health risks, including cancer, respiratory problems, prenatal harm, heart disease, mental health problems, and premature death. Fracking also pollutes surface and groundwater, decreases air quality, damages land, causes earthquakes, and exacerbates climate change. 

Real-World Example: Children living within a mile of one or more fracking wells had a five-to-seven-fold increased risk of lymphoma according to a study by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh.

STEP 2: Cracking Ethane and Producing Plastic

Mixed in the oil and gas are petrochemicals, which include ethane and styrene, used to make plastics. To turn ethane extracted from fracking into plastic, the ethane must first be cracked at an ethane cracker plant before it can be pelletized and then melted into a plastic fork. The gas from the fracking sites is delivered to the cracking facilities by pipelines, during which methane seeps into the atmosphere, releasing about 4.8 million tons of CO₂e gasses per year—the equivalent of about two average-sized coal-fired power plants. At the ethane cracking facility, a tremendous amount of energy is used to crack ethane into ethylene and propylene. These chemicals are then polymerized, mixed with additives, and melted into the more than 561 billion disposable food service items Americans use and dispose of each year—including nearly 100 million plastic utensils used every single day.

The Harm: Ethane cracker plants release pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other hazardous chemicals, posing health risks like respiratory and neurological problems. These facilities disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color.

“The [petrochemical] industry releases more than 90% of its reported climate pollution into 18 communities, mostly along the coastlines of Texas and Louisiana. People living within 3 miles of these petrochemical clusters earn 28% less than the average US household and are 67% more likely to be people of color.”
– Beyond Plastics

Real-World Example: In 2022, Shell’s ethane cracker in Pennsylvania exceeded its annual emissions limits for hazardous pollutants within six months of operation, leading nearby residents to describe the plant as “hell opening a portal.”

STEP 3: The Fork Hits the Store

While the US exports much of its plastic, it also generates more plastic waste per person than any other country—286 pounds annually, nearly double that of China.

STEP 4: A Few Minutes of Use

Despite the millions of years required to create the raw materials and the pollution-intensive production process, the typical plastic fork is used for only a few minutes.

STEP 5: The Fork Is Tossed

Approximately 40 billion tons of individual plastic cutlery is wasted in the United States every year.  Plastic forks are not recyclable. After use, they typically end up in a landfill or incinerator. In landfills, they can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, ultimately breaking into harmful microplastics. If incinerated, the process releases toxic pollutants into the air, impacting nearby communities.

In the worst-case scenario, the discarded plastic fork will end up in the environment. A recent study found that 18% of ocean plastics are plastic cutlery, food containers, and wrappers. In the environment, the plastic fork will break down into microplastics, which are eaten, drank, and even inhaled by living organisms, including humans and the animals we eat. 

The Harm: While the full impacts of microplastics on the body are not fully understood, scientists know they impact the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems. When plastics are incinerated, particulate matter, including nitrous oxide, lead, mercury, and other contaminants, are emitted into the air of nearby neighborhoods. 

Real-World Example:  A 2019 study found that 79% of the United States municipal incinerators are located in low-income communities and/or communities of color. 

Why Isn’t My Plastic Fork Recyclable?

That’s a story for another time! Stay tuned for the answer. In the meantime, learn more about how reusables are a good solution to single-use disposables.

The post From Land to Table to Landfill: An Analysis of the Plastic Fork’s Life Cycle appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Eco-Cycle has taken another significant step toward sustainability by deploying a 100% electric recycling truck this fall, funded by Xcel Energy’s EV Accelerate Innovation program. This addition builds on our acquisition of the nation’s first commercial-scale compost collection truck, deployed in the summer of 2023, and signals our steadfast commitment to a Zero Waste–Zero Emissions future. 

Fleet Electrification: A Crucial Step in Colorado’s Climate Strategy

Governor Polis’s plan to electrify transportation is a key element of Colorado’s climate strategy, with a goal of reaching nearly 1 million electric vehicles on the road in the state by 2030. 

In the United States, medium- and heavy-duty trucks make up just 4% of vehicles on the road, yet generate 23% of the transportation sector’s greenhouse gasses, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While diesel trucks emit high levels of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, electric trucks produce zero tailpipe emissions. In Colorado, where the sky is often hazed by wildfires and ozone pollution, the urgency to reduce emissions is clear. Our fleet electrification is a response to the pressing needs of our time. 

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, electrifying all US trucks would increase national electricity consumption by 13%, but would reduce the total demand for energy by 71% due to the efficiency of electric vehicles compared to diesel ones.

More Than Just Zero Emissions: Promoting Clean Energy, Reducing Noise Pollution

Eco-Cycle’s commitment to Zero Waste, Zero Emissions goes beyond just electrifying our fleet. We’re working toward being able to charge our electric trucks using solar energy, thanks to charging stations funded by Xcel Energy. By powering our EV trucks with solar, we would ensure that they operate with a minimal carbon footprint. 

Another benefit of electric trucks is their quietude. Traditional diesel trucks contribute to noise pollution in neighborhoods, where trash, recycling, and compost collection often happens early in the morning, multiple times a day, or continuously throughout the week. In contrast, our electric-powered compost and recycling collection trucks operate almost silently.

Eco-Cycle’s drivers are at the forefront of our transition to an electric fleet, pioneering the use of heavy-duty EV trucks in the field. After initial concerns about the vehicles’ range and the shift away from gas station pit stops (where they had the chance to take a quick break to buy their favorite snack), our drivers have quickly grown to appreciate these vehicles and are passionate about demonstrating that EV trucks represent the future of the hauling industry.

As early adopters, our hauling team is not just operating these trucks—they’re championing them. They actively promote the potential of EVs in commercial hauling, sharing their expertise with other fleet managers to help them navigate the transition and integrate electric vehicles into their own operations.

Through fleet electrification, eventually charging up with solar energy, and cutting noise pollution, we’re demonstrating that sometimes sustainable changes in the waste industry come not with a roar, but with a whisper.

Are you a driving professional looking to work on the cutting edge of sustainable hauling? Eco-Cycle seeks a CDL Class A driver to join our team. Find job descriptions for this and other open positions at ecocycle.org/careers.

The post Eco-Cycle Adds New EV Recycling Truck, Supporting Colorado’s Shift to Fleet Electrification appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Key findings from the report include: 

– Waste has decreased while the population has increased. Total municipal waste generated dropped from 7.1 million tons in 2018 to 6.9 million tons in 2023. In the same timeframe, the state population has increased, and the benefits of recent waste reduction policies have yet to be realized.

– Colorado’s recycling and compost rate stubbornly stagnates at 15.5%. Disappointingly, Colorado’s recycling and compost rates remain low. However, the roll-out of curbside recycling for ALL Coloradans in 2026, thanks to a new policy championed by Eco-Cycle and partners, is expected to increase this rate.

– The cities of Boulder, Loveland, and Fort Collins have the highest recycling rates on the Front Range. Aspen and Durango have the best rates in Greater Colorado. Top recycling cities have a few things in common, including:

• Every resident is provided a curbside recycling cart; 
• Volume-based pricing for trash encourages recycling and composting;
• Convenient drop-off centers and access to curbside collections are available for food scraps and/or yard trimmings; and
• Strong education programs exist to provide clear guidelines on what can and cannot be recycled, reused, and composted.

Read the Report: The State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado (8th Edition) 
Read the executive summary here.

Looking forward, we encourage state and local leaders to focus on the following areas:

• Divert More Organics: Diverting organic matter such as food scraps and yard trimmings from landfills avoids methane emissions and creates valuable soil amendments for depleted Colorado soils, including compost, biochar, and mulch, which protect and build healthier soils. A recent state report shows we could increase organics diversion from around 10% of organic materials to 60% by 2036 by adding more collections and processing infrastructure as well as policies that require the diversion of organic material from landfills through donation of useable food and composting of non-edible organic material, similar to the policy the City of Aspen adopted in 2023. 
• Implement Producer Responsibility for Batteries: Batteries contain various materials, some of which are very valuable. However, when improperly disposed of in the trash or curbside recycling, batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, pose a serious fire hazard. Battery-caused fires in collection trucks, material recovery facilities, and waste facilities are increasingly common, endangering employees, damaging infrastructure, and significantly increasing operational and insurance costs. Adopting a producer responsibility program for batteries would provide funding for appropriate disposal, a mechanism to reduce battery waste, and ensure valuable materials are recovered and recycled.  
• Support Reuse: Reuse offers significant environmental benefits by reducing the need for new products and saving consumers and businesses money. The potential for reuse is vast, spanning many sectors such as reuse/refill businesses (bulk food, serviceware, etc.), resale markets (thrift/consignment, used books, gear and cars, auction, pawn, etc.), rental services (cars, bridal, equipment, etc.), and repair services (tailoring/mending, shoe repair, electronic repair, auto repair, etc.).

Stay tuned for ways you can help build circular economies in Colorado, including supporting upcoming legislation for battery producer responsibility in 2025!

The post The 8th State of Recycling and Composting Report Outlines Colorado’s Waste Reduction Successes appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Diverting food scraps from landfills to composting is a powerful climate solution, yet access to composting services remains limited across the United States. Despite its potential, only about 10% of US communities have access to composting programs. Eco-Cycle, in partnership with the Composting Consortium, a collaboration managed by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, is working to change that.  

In the US, a staggering 40% of what we throw away is food. When organic materials like food scraps and yard debris end up in landfills, they break down without oxygen, producing methane—a potent greenhouse gas that traps 84 times more heat than carbon dioxide in the short term. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food waste generates 170 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses each year—comparable to the emissions produced by more than 35 million cars annually!

But food scraps and yard debris aren’t waste—they’re resources. When kept out of landfills, they can be repurposed in various ways, including being turned into compost. This nutrient-packed soil amendment enriches farms, gardens, and landscapes, leading to healthier plants that absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it safely and beneficially in the soil—transforming a climate problem into a climate solution!

Yet, despite its importance, only about 4% of food waste in the US is composted. Expanding access to composting services is crucial as communities seek to reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, Eco-Cycle joined forces with Closed Loop Partners to develop “How Organics Diversion Can Help Achieve Zero Waste Goals: A Blueprint for Scaling Collection and Composting Infrastructure.” This comprehensive guide provides municipalities across the US with actionable steps to launch or scale up composting programs.

A Blueprint for Action: Expanding Composting Across the US

The blueprint serves as a clear and practical guide for municipal leaders in Zero Waste, solid waste, and sustainability, focusing on three key areas:

1. Policy and Program Expansion for Diverting Food Waste: This section dives into effective strategies for policy development, exploring methods to incentivize resident and business participation while outlining pathways to maximize food waste diversion from landfills.

2. Setting Up Programs and Infrastructure: This section provides a roadmap for establishing new organics programs, detailing best practices for collection methods, processing options (such as composting facilities and anaerobic digestion), and offering guidance on contracting with composters.

3. Communication with Program Participants: Recognizing the importance of engagement, this section offers a comprehensive communications toolkit, outlining strategies for educating participants on proper sorting techniques, maximizing participation, and ensuring long-term program success.

The blueprint emphasizes the need for collaboration among key stakeholders—composters, cities, residents, businesses, and others across the organics value chain. To support this, the Composting Consortium has launched two new platforms: the Composter Innovator Program, connecting composters to address issues like contamination and policy, and the Municipal Partner Platform, where city officials can share and discuss best practices for starting and expanding compost collection and infrastructure programs.

Sharing Models Piloted in Colorado

Eco-Cycle’s collaboration with the Composting Consortium is informed by decades of experience in Colorado, where we have pioneered composting initiatives. Through effective collaboration, Eco-Cycle has made significant strides in launching compost programs, advocating for policies, and developing infrastructure.

• Policy Leadership: Eco-Cycle has successfully championed statewide policies to divert organics from landfills, promote compost service accessibility, and reduce compost contamination. A recent example is the Compostable Product Labeling Bill (Senate Bill 23-253), which mandates that compostable products must be certified by credible third parties and prohibits misleading labeling.

• Program Development: As Colorado communities expand composting programs, Eco-Cycle has played a critical role in educating and engaging residents and businesses, creating unified guidelines and educational materials for Front Range communities to comply with evolving regional compost standards.

• Innovative Infrastructure: One of the biggest challenges in composting is the location of facilities. Eco-Cycle’s solution is a distributed composting system that places infrastructure directly on farmlands. Farmers can produce compost on-site using farm-generated materials or clean organic waste from nearby communities, creating a true community-based, closed-loop system. This model is already being implemented in Boulder County, with exciting expansions planned in the coming year—so stay tuned!

For municipalities seeking to bring compost programs to their communities, this new report is an essential resource for driving progress.

• Read the report: “How Organics Diversion Can Help Achieve Zero Waste Goals: A Blueprint for Scaling Collection and Composting Infrastructure”

The post Scaling Up Composting, Nationally and Where You Live appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

An effective global plastics pollution elimination treaty must reduce plastic production first and foremost, then focus on improving plastic recycling.

How do you address global plastic pollution and begin to ease the chokehold grip plastics have on both people and the planet? This is the question being wrestled with by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). In March 2022, UNEA resolved to reduce plastic pollution through an internationally binding treaty to be finalized by the end of 2024. 

In the last four committee sessions about the global plastics treaty, including the most recent one in April held in Ottawa, Canada, oil-producing countries have tried to focus only on managing plastic waste. They want to avoid discussing the real issue: the unchecked production of plastic. During the negotiations, these countries have repeatedly challenged the idea of addressing plastic waste at every stage of its life cycle.

Conversely, environmental justice and plastic pollution elimination advocates are calling for the reduction of plastic production, first and foremost. There is simply too much plastic produced today, with exponential increases planned for the near future. We urgently need to turn off the tap on plastics production to address plastic pollution. To do so, we need comprehensive systemic solutions addressing the full life cycle of plastics. 

As recyclers, Eco-Cycle knows firsthand we cannot recycle our way out of the plastics crisis 

Eco-Cycle is the operator of the Boulder County Recycling Center, and we know that most of the plastic in production was not designed to be recycled. Unlike the aluminum, steel, and paper industries, the plastics industry buys back very little of its own products for remanufacturing, leaving recyclers with  niche, “downcycling” markets for products, like carpeting and clothing, rather than more circular solutions such as making more plastic containers. There are nowhere near enough of these markets to handle the ever-increasing volumes of plastic. Plastic products vary widely, using over seven different polymers and any combination of chemical additives—many of which can be very toxic. This variation in products makes the material difficult to sort and even harder to sell as a feedstock to make new products.

While the petrochemical/plastics industry prefers to blame consumers and recyclers for plastic pollution, the real problem is one they created and are expanding. They are simply making too much plastic, most of which cannot be recycled.

Eco-Cycle Supporters Help Influence Global Treaty Negotiations 

Eco-Cycle was represented at the global plastics treaty negotiations by the Alliance for Mission-Based Recycling (AMBR), an organization Eco-Cycle cofounded in 2019 along with three others: Eureka Recycling in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Recycle Ann Arbor in Michigan; and the Ecology Center of Berkeley, California. AMBR works to evolve recycling systems to better protect people and the planet, mitigate climate change, and strengthen communities. 

As mission-based, Zero Waste recyclers, AMBR is advocating for the United States delegation to lead the demand for a strong and effective global treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics and prioritizes a significant reduction in plastic production.

Martin Bourque, AMBR steering committee member and executive director of the Ecology Center, attended the negotiations as an observer while representing the recycling industry. Bourque noted the impact of consumer pressure on the packaging industry to reduce plastic pollution. At the negotiations, global consumer goods brands demonstrated an unprecedented willingness to support global regulations, marking a significant divergence from the petrochemical industry’s ambitions to limit such regulations. Folks like you, supporters of Eco-Cycle living out the Zero Waste ethos, are making a real difference! 

Reduction Throughout the Life Cycle of Plastics on a Global Scale

Every stage of plastics—from resource extraction to disposal—contributes significantly to climate change and social injustices. With this global plastics treaty, plastic reduction advocates are pushing for strategies that authentically address the life cycle of plastics, including:

• Mandatory targets to cap and dramatically reduce virgin plastic production. This includes the elimination of single-use plastics and other nonessential, unnecessary, or unsafe and unsustainable plastic products and applications—including plastics chemicals and intentionally added microplastics. 
• Legally binding, time-bound, and ambitious targets to implement and scale up reuse and refill to accelerate the transition away from single-use plastics. 
• Reject false solutions, regrettable substitutes, and polluting and ineffective techno-fixes such as “chemical recycling,” incineration, waste-to-energy, plastic credits, and other schemes. Innovations should be applied to improving what works in recycling instead of perpetuating business as usual and supporting continued plastics production and pollution.
• Regulation or bans on toxic chemicals in all virgin and recycled plastics based on groups of chemicals. This includes additives (e.g., PFAS, brominated flame retardants, phthalates, bisphenols) as well as notoriously toxic polymers (PVC and polystyrene). 
• Transparent end markets for plastics recycling. Plastics recycling from wealthy countries should not become plastic pollution in poor countries.  
• A just transition to safer and more sustainable livelihoods for workers and communities across the plastics supply chain, including those in the informal waste sector, and addressing the needs of frontline communities affected by plastics production, incineration, and open burning. 
• Provisions that hold polluting corporations and plastics-producing countries accountable for the profound harms to human rights, human health, ecosystems, and economies arising from the production, deployment, and disposal of plastics. 

What’s Next for the Global Plastics Treaty

The next negotiating committee is scheduled to convene on November 25, 2024, in Busan, Republic of Korea. In advance of this meeting, more than 34 countries have signed on to a nonbinding declaration, Bridge to Busan, urging the treaty negotiations to address the full life cycle of plastics, including their production. The United States has not signed the declaration. 

As we move into the intersessional period and prepare for the next set of negotiations, Eco-Cycle, as represented by AMBR, continues to urge the Biden administration to be a global leader and embrace the Zero Waste hierarchy, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency—reduce, reuse, and then recycle—in its negotiations for the treaty. 

Stay tuned for more reports on the global plastics treaty, and read more about Martin Bourque’s report on AMBR’s website.

The post Recycling Alone Cannot Solve Global Plastics Pollution appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Incineration of plastic waste or the conversion of plastic waste to fuels—often referred to by ambiguous umbrella terms like “chemical recycling,” “advanced recycling,” and “molecular recycling”—is peddled as an advanced solution to the world’s growing plastic waste problem. Supporters promise that these processes convert plastic waste back into useful fuels or chemicals, closing the recycling loop. 

However, these technologies aren’t recycling, but rather a form of incineration that perpetuates fossil fuel extraction and the resulting impacts on people and climate. Rather than taking responsibility with authentic solutions like reducing the use of single-use, disposable plastics or establishing recycling markets for them, the plastics industry is trying to sell false and harmful technologies that are notorious for releasing toxic pollutants, creating real impacts for public health and the environment. 

Colorado currently has no waste incineration facilities in the state, and we want to keep it that way! 

Colorado can take a bold step to block pollution with a critical anti-incineration bill. That’s why Eco-Cycle is championing Senate Bill 24-150, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Cutter and Rep. Meg Froelich. While SB24-150 passed the second reading in the Senate on Wednesday, March 13, an amendment we did not support was added to the bill removing a proposed ban on plastics-to-fuel from the bill. If passed as is, SB24-150 would still make Colorado the first state in the nation to ban the construction and operation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incinerators. Keep informed on ways you can support this bill by signing up for policy updates on Zero Waste legislation here.

What is chemical recycling, waste incineration, and plastics-to-fuel?

Chemical recycling, waste incineration, plastics-to-fuel, and other terms championed by the plastics industry refer to various processes (including pyrolysis, gasification, and depolymerization)  which break down plastics using heat, pressure, or solvents. The industry pushes these techniques as efficient ways to handle hard-to-recycle plastics. However, according to a report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), the actual recycling rate of facilities claiming to use these technologies is alarmingly low. Most of the output from these processes is not recycled into new plastics but instead ends up as fuel for industrial processes, contributing to the fossil fuel economy and exacerbating climate change. While plastics-to-plastics chemical recycling may become viable, there is no place for dirty plastics-to-fuel processes in Colorado’s circular economy.

Impacts on People and the Planet

Waste-to-energy facilities are costly, inefficient, and waste more energy than they generate. They are also usually located in disproportionately impacted communities, emitting harmful pollutants and contributing to climate change and health risks.

The process’s energy input comes largely from nonrenewable sources, thus contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. According to GAIA, incinerators are only able to generate small amounts of energy while destroying large amounts of reusable materials. In contrast, Zero Waste practices such as recycling and composting conserve three to five times the amount of energy produced by waste incineration.

Waste incineration processes use and produce hazardous chemicals and generate hazardous waste. Toxic pollutants and hazardous wastes from MSW incineration and plastics-to-fuel facilities include dioxins, arsenic, mercury, and benzene, among many others. These toxins are correlated with health impacts, including cancers, neurological disorders, heart problems, and reproductive, immune, and respiratory disorders.

Nearly 80% of facilities that incinerate MSW, including the burning of plastics, are built in low-income and BIPOC communities. The lack of stringent regulations and oversight of chemical recycling plants only exacerbates risks to these vulnerable communities.

How YOU Can Help Keep Colorado Incineration-Free!

While waste incineration processes are often touted as an innovative solution to the plastic waste crisis, a deeper look reveals significant health and environmental drawbacks. Eco-Cycle and partners are championing Senate Bill 24-150 to keep Colorado free of Municipal Solid Waste incineration facilities and instead work to reduce plastic waste and find genuine recycling solutions.

• Read the fact sheet Say No to Polluting Waste-to-Energy Incineration and Plastics-to-Fuel Facilities in Colorado
• Lea la hoja informativa Diga no a las instalaciones contaminantes de incineración de residuos para producir energía y de plástico a combustible en Colorado
• Sign up for updates on actions you can take to support SB24-150! 

The post Keeping Colorado Free of Waste Incineration appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

This March 8, International Women’s Day, Eco-Cycle celebrates all of the capable and talented women across the globe working to curb climate change and protect the planet for future generations. We asked eight women on our staff three questions to learn more about their professional experiences as part of the Eco-Cycle team.

Josefina Mendoza

has a leadership role training facility staff at the Boulder County Recycling Center.
Job title: La líder de la línea / Line Leader
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: En Eco-Cycle voy a tener dos años en abril. / Two years in April.

¿Cuál es la parte más satisfactoria de tu trabajo?
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Enseñar a los empleados a clasificar los materiales.
Teaching the employees how to classify the materials.

¿Cuál es la parte más difícil de tu trabajo?
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Pues el clima; el clima está muy frío. Y el ruido de la planta.
Well, the weather; it is very cold. And the noise from the plant.

Si pudieras tener una conversación con cualquier mujer, viva o no, ¿quién sería y qué le preguntarías?
If you could have a conversation with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
Salma Hayek. Le preguntaría cómo llevar una vida feliz significativa.
Salma Hayek. I would ask her how to lead a happy, meaningful life.

Suzanne “Zan” Jones

is our fearless leader at Eco-Cycle, overseeing the entire 65-person nonprofit organization. 
Job title: Executive Director
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 10 years and 3 months

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Working with such dedicated and hardworking individuals who are deeply committed to creating solutions to further sustainability and equity.

How about the most challenging part?
Changing systems, which requires countering the capitalist market forces driving our overconsumption, is hard slow work when time is of the essence.

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
Jane Goodall or Michelle Obama: What inspires your hope in these challenging times?

Kris

is a member of the CHaRM warehouse team, where she operates forklifts and front loaders, helps maintain clean recycling streams, and processes hard-to-recycle materials for shipment.
Job title: CHaRM Warehouse Recycler
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 1.5 years

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The passion, excitement, and curiosity of Eco-Cycle staff. 

How about the most challenging part?
The mindset of many that recycling disavows responsibility for our proclivity for consumption.

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
Colorado mountain women who traveled west to a new frontier, and made do with what they had. Their ingenuity turned the experience of scarcity into a life of abundance. 

Rosie Briggs

leads our outreach and engagement efforts at Eco-Cycle, managing the Eco-Leader Volunteer Network as well as helping municipalities develop programming. 
Job title: Public Education and Engagement Senior Manager
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: Six-ish years!

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
We are all surrounded by people who care. And we are so powerful together when we are passionate! I see that unfold every day in this work. 

How about the most challenging part?
People think the climate crisis is their fault. It’s a heavy lift to shift the story from individual blame and shame to systemic change and collective action!

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
My mom, obviously. My question? “What’s your secret?”

Angela Peña de Niz

is an outstanding student engaged with Eco-Cycle’s policy-making efforts through the Colorado Latino Leadership Advocacy Research Organization (CLLARO).
Job title: CLLARO Fellow
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: About 2 months now

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Getting to see how the legislative process works from an up-close perspective and the different work that Eco-Cycle does has been super rewarding. It has been fun to see how many different programs Eco-Cycle offers and how they help communities outside of Boulder to have recycling and eco-friendly options. 

How about the most challenging part?
I think that it can be challenging in the beginning getting started and trying to find your rhythm but afterwards it settles down relatively fast because the team is good at supporting one another.  

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
I think that it would be Dolores Huerta and I would ask her about what it felt like to be in charge of a civil rights movement from the background!

Kate (Christian) Ivory

works in Eco-Cycle’s business services department, offering consulting and support to local and national organizations seeking to become more sustainable.
Job title: Corporate Sustainability Manager
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 6 years this Earth Day

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job has always been seeing the tangible impact of our efforts towards building a safer and more sustainable world. As a new mom, this holds even more significance for me now. Knowing that the work we do today directly contributes to a brighter future for our children and generations to come is incredibly fulfilling.

How about the most challenging part?
A. The most challenging aspect of my job is dispelling the misconception that all sustainability initiatives should inherently be less expensive to execute. In reality, many crucial initiatives, such as altering packaging, establishing take-back programs, or investing in developing end markets, require significant financial investment. Convincing businesses to prioritize these expenses amidst financial constraints can be a daunting task, yet essential for genuine progress toward sustainability.
B. Remembering that not everybody wants to talk about trash when they’re at a party.

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
Clarissa Pinkola Estés, in her book Women Who Run with the Wolves, stated: “Asking the proper question is the central action of transformation—in fairy tales, in analysis, and in individuation.” So, I’d inquire: “What question do you most yearn to answer?” Hoping her response would lead to a cascade of stories and insights, captivating me for hours. 

Cambria Miers

works in Eco-Cycle’s Schools Department, teaching environmental science and sustainability leadership skills to kids of all ages in schools across Boulder Valley School District and St. Vrain Valley School District.
Job title: Environmental Educator
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: 2 years

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I love seeing students get inspired or curious about our lessons. It’s also really special every time I get to teach kids in Spanish!

How about the most challenging part?
With new information/rules coming out every so often, I work a lot on updating my teaching so that it is aligned with the most accurate science (which is also a benefit!). Plus, being around so many kids means I get sick more often.

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
I’d love to talk to Amelia Earhart. I used to be very interested in her story as a young girl, and I’d want to learn all about her solo trip: What was it like flying solo? Did you care about setting new records and being the first female to do that, or did you care more about the journey itself?

Laura Lavesque-Catalano

manages Eco-Cycle’s consulting work under Colorado’s Technical Advisor Service Program (TASP). This initiative assists Colorado municipalities in boosting waste diversion efforts, repurposing recyclable materials, and creating new economic opportunities through innovative Zero Waste solutions.
Job title: Community Campaigns Manager
Amount of time working at Eco-Cycle: Since September 2021

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing how public enthusiasm for recycling, composting, and other waste reduction strategies is being harnessed into positive and enduring change throughout Colorado communities.

How about the most challenging part?
The most challenging part of my job is staying “in the know” about all the cool developments happening in Colorado, nationally, and internationally.

If you could have a conversation over coffee with any woman, living or dead, who would that be and what would you ask her?
I would love to have a conversation with the late Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. I would ask her advice on how to inspire collaboration among various interests and what tips would she have on the art of diplomatic persuasion. 

The post International Women’s Day 2024 appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Learn more about the policies Eco-Cycle is currently championing at the state legislature!

Colorado’s legislative session is here, which means Eco-Cycle’s Policy and Campaigns department is working hard to write, advocate for, and pass Zero Waste bills. Find highlights of upcoming legislation below!

Needs Addressed by Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Policy

Back in 2022, Eco-Cycle helped draft, champion, and pass monumental Producer Responsibility legislation, making Colorado the third state in the nation to pass a policy that requires producers to fund the recycling of their packaging. Since then, Eco-Cycle has worked with the State, the Producer Responsibility Organization, and other stakeholders to support a statewide needs assessment. The findings of this assessment show that curbside recycling programs will be extended to over 700,000 households that currently do not have service, while also cutting costs for both residents and local governments that typically shoulder the recycling bill.

Eco-Cycle is lending its expertise as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) prepares to share these pivotal findings with the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee (JBC). A green light in March means we’ll forge ahead to implement a plan that promises to bring free recycling to all Coloradans starting in 2026!

Putting Out the Fire—Before It Gets Started

Eco-Cycle is championing Senate Bill 24-150, the fight against municipal solid waste incineration and plastics-to-fuel processes. Burning waste, including plastics, is not only an expensive method to generate energy but also a harmful approach that squanders valuable resources, releases pollutants into the air, and generates toxic ash that poses serious health and environmental risks.

Equally concerning is the location of waste-to-energy facilities. They are disproportionately placed in low-income and BIPOC communities, exacerbating health inequalities by significantly increasing cancer risks for residents living nearby. This practice stands in stark contrast to Colorado’s vision for an equitable and sustainable future. As we pivot toward strengthening our circular economy, prioritizing clean air, and supporting environmental justice, it’s clear that burning waste or transforming it into fuel is a step in the wrong direction. 

Clearing the Air on the Disposal of Vapes

Eco-Cycle is advising on and advocating for House Bill 24-1069, which aims to tackle the problematic disposal of vapes. With their embedded lithium-ion batteries and liquids, vapes present a unique challenge for waste management systems. Not only are these devices non-recyclable, but they also pose significant fire risks to waste haulers and recycling facilities. House Bill 24-1069 seeks to direct the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to study potential solutions for the disposal or elimination of single-use vapes. 

Extending the Life of Electronics: Right-to-Repair Legislation

Eco-Cycle is supporting legislative efforts by our partner, Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG), to make repairing household electronics more accessible. Building on the momentum of their 2022 and 2023 triumphs, where they successfully championed “right-to-repair” bills for agricultural equipment and powered wheelchairs, CoPIRG is now setting its sights on household electronics with the introduction of House Bill 24-1121.

This new bill is part of a growing movement to challenge the restrictions imposed by manufacturers on repairing electronic devices. By advocating for the right to repair, CoPIRG aims to not only reduce costs for consumers but also to encourage sustainable practices by extending the life span of electronics.

Colorado’s Other Mountain Ranges: Tire Mountains

Imagine a sprawling rubbery landscape of discarded tires. These tire “monofills” aren’t just an eyesore—they pose great environmental and public health challenges. Colorado is home to the largest tire landfills in the nation, which can erupt with unintentional fires, like the Hudson fire in 2021. Approximately 315 million tires are used up each year, with less than half of them recycled, and most instead ending up in landfills dedicated to used tires.

In a partnership with Recycle Colorado, Eco-Cycle is supporting a new bill that includes a modest fee with every new tire purchase to help fund tire recycling solutions, paving the way to transform rubber tire waste into useful products, such as road materials.

Streamlining Support for Recycling, Composting, and Waste Reduction

Colorado schools, municipalities, recyclers, composters, and other businesses have benefitted from state grants to increase recycling and composting and reduce waste for nearly two decades. The grants are funded by a small fee paid for material dumped at Colorado landfills. Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), which oversees these grants, is proposing a bill that will combine the Front Range Waste Diversion (FRWD) program and the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) program into one statewide program that will expand access to more support for municipalities across Colorado. As advocates for both of the original programs, Eco-Cycle supports this move to create a unified, efficient, well-funded program to help advance Zero Waste projects statewide.

The post Your 2024 Zero Waste Policy Brief for Colorado appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

Highlights from our 7th annual State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado Report!

Colorado is poised for breakthroughs in waste reduction, despite a low recycling rate.

Coloradans throw away roughly 5.6 pounds of materials per person per day—and about 85% of that ends up in landfills. Colorado’s recycling rate stubbornly remains one of the worst in the country, mostly due to a lack of access to recycling services, especially at apartment buildings, businesses, and in rural areas.

On November 15, 2023, in celebration of America Recycles Day and Colorado Recycles Week,  Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG just released our 7th annual State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado Report, which examines the progress made by the state and Colorado communities in recycling and composting. While Colorado continues to have a low recycling rate of just 16%, the state is on the verge of significant progress toward reducing waste!

This year’s report not only examines recycling and composting challenges and successes, but also includes “the three Rs”—reduce, reuse, and recycle—and ways the state, local communities, and entrepreneurial businesses are leading the way toward less waste and fostering a circular economy for Colorado. 

View the 7th annual State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado Report

Examples of innovative ways Coloradans are reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting across the state, forging new pathways toward a Zero Waste future, include:

REDUCE

• The Colorado Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, successfully championed by Eco-Cycle, required a 2023 statewide fee on single-use checkout bags that is estimated to reduce between 1.5 and 1.8 billion single-use checkout bags annually. Phase two, starting January 2024, will ban polystyrene take-out food containers and single-use plastic checkout bags altogether.
• Aspen city officials reported an 80–90% reduction in straws used at restaurants that switched from automatically giving people straws to waiting for a customer to ask.
• Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has adopted food waste reduction practices in district food preparation kitchens.

REUSE

• Two emerging reusable food serviceware businesses operating in Colorado, r.World and DeliverZero, replace disposable take-out containers with washable, reusable delivery containers, avoiding more than 13,000 pounds of waste to landfills, saving over 325,000 gallons of water, and preventing over 46,000 kgCO2e of greenhouse emissions.
• Denver launched an incentive program funding 35 local food establishments to switch to reusable serviceware for on-site dining, and is offering up to $2,500 to help permitted events transition to reusable cups.
• Colorado is the only state that has adopted two Right to Repair policies—one for powered wheelchairs and one for agricultural equipment.

RECYCLE & COMPOST

• Colorado was the third state to adopt a nation-leading Producer Responsibility policy, co-written by Eco-Cycle, requiring producers of paper and packaging (cans, jars, boxes, etc.) who sell these products in the state to fund recycling services for all Colorado residents starting in 2026.

• Colorado also adopted a nation-leading “Truth in Compostable Labeling” bill (SB23-253) to reduce contamination in compost streams by clarifying labeling of certified compostable and look-alike “compostable” packaging, championed by Eco-Cycle in spring 2023.

Read more about groundbreaking actions that the state, local communities, and businesses are taking in our 2023 State of Recycling & Composting Report (find the executive summary here).

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The ever-increasing production and disposal of plastics is fueling a global crisis affecting every ecosystem and species on Earth. While there is a lot we as individuals can do to reduce our consumption of plastics, the real problem with plastics doesn’t start with the individual consumer—it begins with the overwhelming production of plastic! To make large-scale, systemic change here in Colorado, Eco-Cycle is tackling the problem with policy solutions, including championing Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, and successfully advocating for Extended Producer Responsibility—where manufacturers are held accountable for the packaging they generate.

Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (2021), a Ban on Plastic Bags and Polystyrene Containers in 2024

Colorado is making huge strides in curbing plastic use with the landmark Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, championed by Eco-Cycle and partners, which will rein in the use of two of the most harmful plastics: plastic bags, and foam food and beverage containers. 

Phase 1: Charging $0.10 Per Plastic and Paper Bags

Did you know that a staggering 14 billion plastic bags are used in the US per year? To incentivize customers to opt for reusable bags, diminishing the use of plastic bags throughout the state, the first phase of the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act mandates that large retailers charge a minimum fee of $0.10 per plastic (and paper) checkout bag as of January 1, 2023—which could result in an astounding 70% reduction in bag usage annually.

Phase 2: Banning Plastic Bags and Polystyrene Food and Beverage Containers

On January 1, 2024, the second phase of the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act will roll out with a ban (not just a fee) on plastic bags and foam food and beverage containers at large retail establishments. Polystyrene foam (often mistakenly called Styrofoam®) is derived from fossil fuels and never biodegrades. Instead, it breaks into smaller and smaller pieces, posing a significant threat to wildlife that often mistakes it for food, and creating microplastics that can enter our ecosystem’s water, soil, and food supply. Polystyrene foam also jeopardizes human health: A key component of polystyrene, styrene has been identified by the Department of Health and Human Services as a potential human carcinogen. This chemical can leach into food and beverages served in polystyrene containers, posing a direct risk to human well-being. Even workers involved in the production of styrene-based products face serious consequences, as the inhalation of styrene can result in damage to the nervous system.

As the final phase of Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act approaches on January 1, 2024, Coloradans are poised to reap the extraordinary environmental and health benefits of reducing plastic pollution generated by plastic bags and polystyrene foam containers. 

Colorado’s Producer Responsibility for Recycling Program: Free, Convenient Recycling for All Coloradans in 2026

Colorado became the first state in the country to create a fully producer-funded and operated statewide recycling system for all consumer-facing packaging and printed paper with the passage of the Producer Responsibility for Recycling Act in June 2022. The bill was authored by Eco-Cycle and championed by a broad coalition of businesses, local governments, environmental advocates, and residents.

Shifting Responsibility (and Cost) from the Consumer to the Producer

Currently, consumers and local governments are tasked with the responsibility of paying for the recycling of packaging on consumer goods. When the Producer Responsibility Organization starts implementing their plan to provide free recycling for all Coloradans beginning in 2026, the responsibility for recycling packaging will shift from the consumer or local government to the producers that make that packaging. Under the new law, companies that sell printed paper, cardboard, and metal, glass, and plastic packaging in the state will be required to pay a small fee per piece of packaging they put out in the market; these fees will be used to create and fund a statewide recycling system. The goal is for every Coloradan to have access to free, convenient recycling that is just as easy as their trash service. 

Taking a Step Toward a More Circular Economy in Colorado

Colorado currently recycles just 15% of its waste, less than half the national average, largely because many residents lack access to convenient, affordable curbside recycling services. Meanwhile, Colorado landfills recyclable material that could have been sold for more than $100 million. This policy will make it easy for all Coloradans to recycle more plastics, aluminum cans, glass bottles, cardboard, and printed paper. It will also help manufacturers and businesses by creating a more resilient domestic supply of recycled materials to make new products.

The Producer Responsibility Act will help ensure that producers take responsibility for the environmental impact of their goods. Through this legislation, Colorado is taking a significant step toward a circular economy, where waste is minimized, resources are conserved, and the well-being of both residents and the environment are prioritized.

The post Reducing Plastic Use and Pollution in Colorado appeared first on Eco-Cycle.

As the Colorado legislature session came to an end last week, two bills that Eco-Cycle and our partners helped draft and advocate for are headed to Governor Polis’ desk to be signed into law! Both of these bills will help promote an expanding clean compost system in Colorado: SB23-253: Standards For Products Represented As Compostable will help reduce compost contamination by prohibiting false marketing practices oft “look-alike” compostable products, while SB23-91: Organics Diversion Study will help the state and local governments understand the policies, tools, infrastructure, and end markets needed to divert food, yard trimmings, and other organics from the landfill.

Each year, Colorado needlessly fills up its landfills with food scraps and yard trimmings, composting only 6% of its food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic materials. When buried in a landfill, organics decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) and in the process become the number one source of human-caused methane—a greenhouse gas that traps 84 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide in the short term. If we turn these organic discards into compost instead of landfilling them, we can prevent methane emissions at landfills. If we then apply compost to landscapes, we can build healthy soils. Healthier soils grow healthier plants which absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it safely in the soil where it belongs.

Here’s what the bills will do:

Standards For Products Represented As Compostable (SB23-153) will reduce consumer confusion about the compostability of products and will significantly reduce contamination in compost by creating a clear standard for labeling compostable products by:

• Requiring that products represented as compostable must be certified by a credible third party (such as BPI or CMA) and clearly labeled to be sold or marketed as compostable in the state of Colorado.
• Prohibiting producers of products that are not certified compostable from labeling, marketing, or advertising these products as compostable. They would also be prohibited from using labels, images, or words that could mislead the consumer into believing the product is compostable.

Organics Diversion Study (SB23-191) will require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to look at how the state can put millions of tons of organic materials that now go to the landfill into more productive uses—feeding hungry Coloradans, supporting resilient local economies, creating green jobs, more productive agricultural lands, and building healthier soils that are more resilient to flooding and drought. The bill requires CDPHE to engage stakeholders and make recommendations to:

• Invest in organic materials diversion and composting infrastructure statewide, and
• Develop policies to divert organic materials away from landfills and into beneficial uses, including feeding hungry people, feeding animals, and producing compost, mulch, and biochar (or diverting to anaerobic digestion).

“We’ve worked hard over the last few years to develop Zero Waste policies and infrastructure in Colorado, and our bills are a logical next step.” said State Senator Lisa Cutter, the Senate sponsor of both SB23-253 and SB23-191. “We’ve been leading the way nationwide in our efforts to create a greener state, and this will help solidify Colorado’s standing as a leader in zero waste policy.” 

Thank you to our Eco-Cycle community of activists who took the time to support these bills by contacting their senator and representative! Together, over the past 4 years we have successfully championed EIGHT pieces of Zero Waste statewide legislation!

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