Trash recycling is taking off in Adams County, sometimes making it difficult for cities to keep up with the demand for services.
In Brighton, a pilot program was swamped as more recyclable materials were dropped off than the program’s budget could handle.
“It’s been an overwhelming success,” said Britton Cottrell, a member of the Brighton Youth Commission.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Cottrell said. “People want to recycle. Unfortunately, it costs money.”
The program was started a year ago, on Earth Day, by members of the youth commission and is being funded mainly through donations.
More funds needed
The city recently allocated $1,000 to keep the program afloat until other sources of funding can be identified, Cottrell said.
“It was really just a pilot program to see if this type of service was needed,” he said. “We found that the answer is yes.”
In Thornton, curbside pickups had to be expanded from once to twice a month after the city began offering recycling service in 2007, said city environmental services manager Adam Lovato.
“Folks really jumped on board when we went to single-stream system,” Lovato said. “And it continues to grow.”
In 2008, the city collected 4,045 tons of recyclables. In 2009, that number rose to 4,157 tons, all of which are hauled to a Waste Management recycling facility at East 54th Avenue and Franklin Street in Denver.
Push in Commerce City
In Commerce City, where most residents have a free trash hauling service, the city is trying to stimulate the curbside recycling program launched in 2009.
Officials are getting ready to roll out an incentives program that would reward customers who recycle, particularly those who do a good job, said Sam Hoover, street and traffic operations manager for Commerce City.
Audits will be performed, at random, on some customers’ recyclables. Route managers will check for “contamination,” examples of which could include paper plates containing food products or the wrong types of plastic, Hoover said.
A good audit could result in a cash reward or a free 96-gallon recycling bin, Hoover said.
“The goal of the program is to increase participation and to educate our customers about what can and can’t be recycled,” Hoover said.
Joey Kirchmer: 303-954-2650 or kirchmerj@yourhub.com
