What is the Organics Management Plan?

In 2023, the Colorado State Legislature directed the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to study the impacts, benefits, and feasibility of requiring the diversion of organic materials from landfills via the Organics Diversion Study Bill 23-191. The results and recommendations within the Plan are intended to guide policy makers such as municipal and local leaders and facility operators to develop both short and long-term goals that are best suited at a local and regional level for capturing and diverting organics waste materials while ensuring adequate capacity for end-market use.

Organics Mangement Plan Toolkit

As part of the Study, CDPHE also commissioned development of a toolkit which draws on the study research and findings. This toolkit is intended to serve as a resource to support organics processing infrastructure development across Colorado. This resource was developed with local governments and private entities as the main audience and aims to help these groups better understand and develop organics processing infrastructure in Colorado.

The focus of the toolkit is organic municipal solid waste which includes food and yard waste from residential, commercial, and institutional facilities. When planning and developing organics infrastructure there are many variables to consider (e.g., available feedstocks, transportation corridors, collection options, contamination risks, zoning, permitting, siting, operations, end markets, funding, etc.). This toolkit outlines these considerations, highlights best practices, and provides outside resources where readers may require additional guidance. The toolkit does not include guidance for management of other organic material that includes animal material, animal mortality, biosolids, crop residues, industrial liquid waste, sludges, farm manure, sawdust, forest management waste, and construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

Toolkit for the Organics Management Plan Toolkit

While the Organics Management Plan and its Toolkit are helpful resources for municipalities and communities looking to start composting in teh state, they are lengthy and not easily digested for a quick read. Our fellow recognized this important gap and created small videos and easily accessible resources to help you get a start. 

  For a shareable version (with links) see the toolkit slide deck here.

For a shareable version (with links) see the toolkit slide deck here.

If you are looking for another way to get involved with composting efforts in your community, become a Citizen Scientist.

Additional Resources

• Tools and resources
• Organics Management Plan & Organics Infrastructure Toolkit
• Colorado Circular Communities (C3) Enterprise
• Circular Economy Development Center
• US Composting Council
• EPA Sustainable Management of Food
• Compost Foundation Compost Use ROI

• Recycle Colorado: [email protected]

• Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE)
• Composting page
• Solid waste management data and reports