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Appointments Made for Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Advisory Board

CDPHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan has made appointments for thirteen voting members on the Producer Responsibility Advisory Board for the new Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling. The Advisory Board appointments include the following sector representatives:
  
● Caroline Mitchell, City of Fort Collins, Municipality seat (3-year term)
● Jake Niece, Ouray County, County seat (2-year term)
● Gail Garey, City of Steamboat Springs, Non-Front Range local government seat (3-year term)
● Richard Kattar, Swordfish Consulting, Materials recovery facility seat (2-year term)
● Nicole Willett, GFL Environmental, Recyclable materials hauler seat (3-year term)
● Clinton Sander, A1 Organics, Compost facility seat (2-year term)
● Elizabeth Chapman, Recycle Colorado, Non-profit seat (3-year term)
● Scott Saunders, KW Plastics, Packaging supplier seat (3-year term)
● Steve Priddy, WestRock, Manufacturer of recycled paper products seat (2-year term)
● Scott DeFife, Glass Packaging Institute, Trade association seat (3-year term)
● Christopher Howes, Colorado Retail Council, Retailers association seat (2-year term)
● Junior Ortega, Asociación de Jóvenes Unidos en Acción, Environmental justice seat (2-year term)
● Barrett Jensen, Waste Connections, Landfill with recycling seat (2-year term)

Congratulations to Recycle Colorado's Elizabeth Chapman on the nonprofit seat appointment as well as all other Recycle Colorado members who were appointed. We are excited to see what the future of Producer Responsibility has for Colorado!

For more information about Colorado’s new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program, please visit our website. For questions, please contact Darla Arians, Producer Responsibility Lead, (720) 263-1219, [email protected]

Foam Cycle 2021 Annual Report

Disposing of foam waste doesn’t have to happen any longer!
Introducing Foam Cycles 2021 impact report. In this report, you will read about the dedicated people and the inspiring foam recycling programs from all parts of the country.
Foam Cycle locations from across the country recently took part in a Penn State University research project. The lofty goal was to quantify the impact of foam (aka Styrofoam) recycling for local communities that have Foam Cycle systems in operation. Since 2017, more than 19 Foam Cycle systems have been installed, allowing a whopping 4,042,423 people access to foam recycling where none existed before!
The Foam Cycle 2021 Annual Report provides a snapshot of the overall impact that each municipality, county, public-private partnership, and non-profit organization have on recycling efforts. These impacts include providing access, diverting landfill airspace, and reducing trucking.

Download the Foam Cycle 2021 Annual Report

Board of Directors Election 2022

In November 2022, Recycle Colorado members voted to elect five candidates to serve on the Board of Directors for a three-year term (2023-2026). We are delighted to welcome to following new board members onto the Recycle Colorado Board. We are excited to continue to work towards our goals and mission in 2023 with the support of our board! 

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Eco-Cycle releases their 2022 State of Recycling and Composting Report

Eco-Cycle released their 6th State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado Report on America Recycles Day 2022 with their partner CoPIRG. The report talks about news and trends in recycling and composting, highlighting municipalities that are doing things well. It also sets the stage for their policy priorities for the coming year.  

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EPA: Apply for New Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding for Recycling & Composting

$100M in funding is now available to help build and transform solid waste infrastructure, manage materials to achieve a circular economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create cleaner, resilient, and healthier communities. EPA is releasing new funding opportunities under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program and the Recycling Education and Outreach Grant program, both of which were funded by the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

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Colorado Recycles Day 2023

Thank you to our members for the great work across the state and nation you are doing to improve Recycling!

Colorado Recycles Week 2023: November 14th-18th
America Recycles Day: November 15th

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RREO RFA #41056 is Now Available

RREO RFA #41056 is now available on the RREO webpage

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Waste 360: Greenpeace vs Recycling, What Wasn't Said

"Circular Claims Fall Flat Again is Greenpeace’s latest assault on plastic recycling. Not only does Greenpeace say it is failing now, they confidently predict it will always be a failure. Instead, we should phase out all single-use plastics and shoot for “at least 50 percent reusable packaging by 2030.” Greenpeace came to bury plastic recycling, not to praise it." (Chaz Miller, Waste 360)

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The City of Longmont's Waste Hauling Trucks Highlighted in MotorWeek

The City of Longmont was recently highlighted on MotorWeek this week for their wastewater powered waste hauling trucks. Check out their video which features our Recycle Colorado Board President, Charles Kamenides and his team. 

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Recycle Colorado elected as a 2022 National Recycling Outstanding Recycling Organization

We are excited to have been chosen as an Outstanding Recycling Organization by the National Recycling Coalition!

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Colorado Circular Economy Development Center Request for Proposals

The deadline for the Circular Economy Development Center has been extended to February 10, 2023. An updated schedule is posted below.

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NextCycle Colorado Now Accepting Applications!

NextCycle Colorado, a circular economy accelerator dedicated to advancing end markets for recyclables and organics in Colorado is now accepting applications for the 2023 cohort. Download the application packet to learn more about program benefits and eligibility.

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2022 Annual Meeting

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Annual Meeting

We enjoyed the having you all attend and network with us.

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Boulder County offers funding for Zero Waste programs

County will allocate up to $15,000 per project to organizations for reuse, recycling, and composting programs

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Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Zero Waste Request for Application #ZW111822

The next request for applications focusing on advancing Front Range communities up the “zero waste ladder” was published on October 4, 2022. The background and overview of the grant offering, as well as the estimated schedule of activities document, are now available on the FRWD webpage.

Answers to questions asked during the Q&A Round 2 inquiry period for the Front Range Waste Diversion (FRWD) RFA #ZW111822 are available for review and are linked to the FRWD website
As a friendly reminder, applications are due November 18, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. MDT.

Apply Now: FRWD Zero Waste RFA #ZW111822

The most recent request for applications (RFA) focusing on advancing Front Range communities up the “zero waste ladder” is officially published and available on the FRWD webpage

Download the full request for applications document RFA #ZW111822 for complete information

Start a new application for RFA #ZW111822

Answers to questions asked during the Q&A Round 1 inquiry period for the Front Range Waste Diversion (FRWD) RFA #ZW111822 are available for review and are linked to the FRWD website
Answers to questions asked during the Q&A Round 3 inquiry period for the FRWD Zero Waste RFA #ZW111822 are now available for review
During the period when an RFA is open, questions pertaining to the RFA must be directed in writing to [email protected] and will be answered in writing and posted on the FRWD webpage. Questions for the first round of Q&A are due October 14, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. and will be posted on October 21, 2022. Questions for the second round of Q&A are due October 28, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. and will be posted on November 4, 2022. 
 

The application submittal deadline has changed and is now December 9

Trail Creek restoration grabs national attention

Recycle Colorado members Swire Coca-Cola were able to help contribute to Trail Creek restoration at the Taylor Park wetlands near the headwaters of the Gunnison River. 

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New Study Tests Theories on Compostable Foodservice Packaging and Food Scrap Capture

Foodservice Packaging Institute Releases Study on Compostable Packaging and Food Scrap Capture

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2021 Colorado Recycling Data

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is pleased to release the 2021 Recycling Totals for the State of Colorado. In 2021, the municipal solid waste diversion rate rose slightly from 15.3% to 16%, while the total diversion rate fell from 35.8% to 31.2%.  Details on the specific category changes, as well as diversion trends, and compost data, can be found at the link below.
If you have any questions regarding this information, please reach out to Jace Driver at [email protected].

The Durango Herald: We are so bad at composting, whole truckloads are rejected and sent to the dump

Learn more about the contamination issue Colorado is facing with organics recycling. Recycle Colorado members are cited throughout the article discussing the issue.

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