THE DENVER SERIES AIMS TO INCREASE GLASS RECYCLING RATES THROUGH A CITY-WIDE CHALLENGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADING GLASS BOTTLE MANUFACTURER AND COMMUNITY PARTNER

Americans generate 23% more waste in December than other months of the year. Want to celebrate the holidays more sustainably? Check out Eco-Cycle's Zero Waste Holiday Guide, with new tips to help you find sustainable alternatives to traditional gift wrapping paper, reduce food waste, host Zero Waste gatherings, and more! 

Attention retail food establishments! Denver’s new Reuse Denver program can help your small business save money, reduce waste and create a better customer experience!

The City of Boulder’s first deconstruction project since its 2020 sustainability ordinance has single-handedly kept 60.8 million pounds out of the landfill. The deconstruction of the ex-hospital is the first of its kind in the United States. We are proud of the work by our member in the Construction & Deconstruction field. Read the article to learn more on how deconstruction and reuse can be possible even for large commercial buildings and projects! 

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In 2020, Governor Polis declared the third week of November “Colorado Recycles Week,” and in celebration, Eco-Cycle and CoPIRG just released our 7th annual State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado Report that examines the progress made by the state and Colorado communities in recycling and composting. Despite a low recycling rate, Colorado is poised for significant breakthroughs in reducing waste!

The President first named right to repair as a priority in his Executive Order on Promoting Competition. Since then, we have seen an uptick in state legislative efforts and voluntary movement in the private sector, in addition to action by the Biden-Harris Administration, all aimed at giving consumers more control over fixing what they own — whether it’s a tractor or a smartphone. On Tuesday, October 24, join Senior Advisor to the President and Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) Director Tom Perez, National Economic Council (NEC) Director Lael Brainard, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, and legislative leaders from across the country to learn about federal and state efforts to strengthen the right to repair.

The US EPA’s new Food Waste Scale is a long-awaited recognition of the importance of composting inedible food scrap and will bring much needed clarity to this issue. The USCC has been urging EPA to make this change for the past decade. The new (Food Waste Scale) revisits the food waste hierarchy and changes the framework to prioritize actions that prevent and divert wasted food from disposal. Tiers of the scale highlight different pathways for preventing or managing wasted food in order from most preferred to least preferred. The USCC believes composting is the superior and most economical option for inedible food scraps.

JOIN THE 2023-2024 NEXTCYCLE COLORADO COHORT!

CDPHE’s Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability is seeking stakeholder feedback on a legislative proposal that aims to streamline waste diversion grant funding. The proposal would merge the Front Range Waste Diversion enterprise and the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity grant program into the existing enterprise and expand it to have a statewide focus. This change would allow all grant recipients to benefit from the flexible and long-term funding provided by an enterprise and would enable the regional partnerships afforded by a statewide program like RREO.

CAA has enhanced its website to feature need-to-know information for those who are looking for key EPR implementation milestones and tracking where each state is in the regulatory process.

Air quality and climate action are a top priority in Colorado. The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) is implementing the Clean Air Program (CAP) to provide funding for project implementation and technical support to the industrial sector, including material recovery facilities, landfill operators, municipalities, and more, with the aim of reducing air pollution and decrease energy consumption. Here is a summary of the key offerings supplied by the program:

Circular Action Alliance (CAA), HDR Engineering and Eunomia hosted a webinar yesterday to discuss Colorado’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for paper and packaging recycling. Haulers across Colorado were invited to the approximately 40-minute session to learn about the next steps in the implementation process and discuss the upcoming needs assessment period. 

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SALIDA, CO - The dream of a new recycling center and waste transfer station in Chaffee County is a major step closer to reality following today's announcement of a $4 million grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Solid Waste and Materials Management Program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is proposing changes to "Section 14 - Composting" of the Regulations Pertaining to Solid Waste Sites and Facilities, 6 CCR 1007-2 Part 1.

The Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling is accepting applications for a vacancy on the Producer Responsibility Advisory Board. This individual will represent the manufacturer of recycled paper products seat and continue in a two-year term that ends in December of 2024. We are accepting applications until September 11 or until the seat is filled.

Recycle Colorado keynote speaker from the 2023 Summit for Recycling featured discussing his book in the Colorado Sun. Learn more on how John was inspired to write "Ecosystems As Models for Restoring Our Economies".

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Estes Valley residents showed up in force on Saturday, August 12 to support Estes Recycles Day, with a record-breaking turnout of 504 cars and trucks unloaded at the Events Center parking lot.