Recycling Coalition

The recycling scene in the Pikes Peak Region can be confusing because the city of Colorado Springs does not provide trash services nor does it grant a franchise to a single hauler. Residents must arrange for trash services house by house from any number of private companies, some of which provide recycling collection, some of which don't.

The Recycling Coalition of Colorado Springs has brought all the players to the table - city staff, trash haulers and small recyclers - in an effort to identify a sensible, comprehensive recycling program for the region. That process may include efforts to change state law so that diversion from landfills is mandatory. In the meantime, the group has purchased single-stream recycling bins for use at all community events (provided we have volunteers to staff them)!

To join the Recycling Coalition or learn more about its initiatives, contact Gary Rapp at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Colorado Springs Recycling Audit Finds Half of Residential Trash could have been Diverted from Landfills

 

Volunteers at the residential trash audit.
Volunteers at August 28, 2010 Trash Talk.
Last month at the Pikes Peak Ecofestival, a trained group of Recycling Coalition of Colorado Springs volunteers sorted about three compacted yards of residential trash. That?s the equivalent of approximately 10 families? trash for a week. The volunteers found of the nearly 300 pounds of trash sorted, 158 pounds, 54 percent, could be diverted from area landfills.
Of the materials that could be diverted, 14 percent was clothing, toys and house wares, which could be donated or repurposed, 4 percent was compostable food waste, such as vegetables and coffee grounds, and 2 percent was better disposed of at an electronics recycling center. A remaining 108 pounds, or 37 percent, could have been recycled through single-stream, curb-side service. (Single-stream recyclable materials include plastics 1-7, cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum and metals, and glass bottles and jars. Trash haulers in Colorado Springs currently provide this service for a few extra dollars per month.) Even more materials would have been recyclable with a few simple steps, such as rinsing food containers or preventing paper from becoming contaminated with liquids.
The Recycling Coalition of Colorado Springs? audit goals were to educate Eco-Festival attendees while gaining preliminary data for the extent of resources currently being buried in regional landfills. This audit was the launch of a larger statistical effort, which will cover the span of a year, examine trash from multiple haulers, and cross several seasons.
Recycling coalition volunteers hailed from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Sierra Club, El Paso County, City of Colorado Springs and Fort Carson. (To address customer security concerns, volunteers were monitored and signed an affidavit of confidentiality.)

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