Green efforts stall in small towns

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7244615

Green efforts stall in small towns

In some far-flung parts of the state, it doesn't pay to have waste

shipped to bigger cities.

By Steve Lipsher

The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 10/22/2007 12:55:38 AM MDT

When Valley Recycling removed its Fraser drop-off bin last month,

residents were faced with a difficult choice:

Haul their empty bottles, old newspapers and crushed cans 17 miles to

Granby, or just toss them in the trash.

Far from urban collection centers and manufacturing mills, many small

communities throughout the Rocky Mountains are struggling to make

recycling pay.

The entire region has fallen behind the rest of the country in the

fundamental green effort.

"I wish I had an answer," said Marjorie Griek, executive director of

the Colorado Association for Recycling.

"Demand is great," she said. "But it takes time and money and

resources to get something like that in place, and currently we don't

have all of those things together here."

In diverting only 12.5 percent of waste materials from landfills,

Colorado ranks 41st in the nation in recycling, according to BioCycle

magazine.

Nationally, about 30 percent of waste materials are recycled.

Part of the problem, Griek said, is the appearance that landfills are

profit centers for local governments - even in some larger communities

like Colorado Springs.

In fact, they are heavily subsidized through hidden supports such as

land allowances, she said.

"On some levels, the county commissioners don't want recycling ...

because they own the landfill, and they make money when people throw

their garbage away," Griek said.

Small, far-flung communities could band together to gain economies of

scale in collection and shipping of recyclables, she said.

In Grand County, Valley Recycling closed its free 24-hour drop-off

centers in Fraser and Hot Sulphur Springs because they were growing

too popular and operated at a loss with each truck carrying materials

75 miles to Denver.

"I was emptying them every single day, year-round," said Karen

Bloomfield, owner of the recycling company, which continues to pick up

materials from profitable business accounts.

"But transportation costs were killing me. We just couldn't keep up,"

she said.

"It's really hard to do without government support," Bloomfield said.

A typical load of glass sold for about $300, she said. It cost her

about $400 to collect it and ship it to Denver.

The repercussions are likely to be felt at the landfill in Granby,

where a landslide last spring is requiring a $4 million shoring-up

project and its 40-year projected life-span was slashed to six years.

"It's definitely a finite resource, and the more we can divert out of

it, the more we can extend its life," said Mike Meindl, the solid-

waste foreman for Grand County.

Rather than spreading 6 inches of dirt over each day's deposits,

operators are now spraying a synthetic material - made of recycled

paper and plastic - that is only a half-inch thick.

Valley Recycling maintains a public drop-off center at the dump, but

residents of the fast-growing eastern part of the county complain that

they have to drive more than 30 miles round trip to see that their

refuse is recycled.

"At some point, you wind up consuming more resources trying to get

these products to recycling than it saves by recycling," Meindl said.

Facing political pressure from upset residents, the county and towns

will have to take over the collection system, Commissioner James

Newberry said.

"We can either pay now for recycling or pay a lot more in the future

for a new landfill," he said. "I think in the long term, we need to

get a lot more aggressive in what we're doing."

Newberry said he would like to model a program after the efforts in

Summit and Pitkin counties, mountain communities that have been able

to divert as much as 60 percent of waste materials from landfills.

Carly Wier, executive director of the High Country Conservation Center

- Summit County's government-supported recycling program, which began

as a grassroots, all-volunteer effort 31 years ago - said the key is

community buy-in and an appreciation of the true costs.

"People need to understand the literal dollar savings," she said.

"Running a landfill is incredibly expensive. It's vastly cheaper to

recycle than to bury it."

Progressive communities have recycle bins and specified days where you leave

the stuff on your curb.

Perhaps Co. should move into the 21st century.

"chatnoir" <wolfbat359a@mindspring.com> wrote in message

news:1193257562.618038.6600@i13g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

> http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7244615

>

> Green efforts stall in small towns

> In some far-flung parts of the state, it doesn't pay to have waste

> shipped to bigger cities.

> By Steve Lipsher

> The Denver Post

> Article Last Updated: 10/22/2007 12:55:38 AM MDT

>

> When Valley Recycling removed its Fraser drop-off bin last month,

> residents were faced with a difficult choice:

> Haul their empty bottles, old newspapers and crushed cans 17 miles to

> Granby, or just toss them in the trash.

> Far from urban collection centers and manufacturing mills, many small

> communities throughout the Rocky Mountains are struggling to make

> recycling pay.

> The entire region has fallen behind the rest of the country in the

> fundamental green effort.

> "I wish I had an answer," said Marjorie Griek, executive director of

> the Colorado Association for Recycling.

> "Demand is great," she said. "But it takes time and money and

> resources to get something like that in place, and currently we don't

> have all of those things together here."

> In diverting only 12.5 percent of waste materials from landfills,

> Colorado ranks 41st in the nation in recycling, according to BioCycle

> magazine.

> Nationally, about 30 percent of waste materials are recycled.

> Part of the problem, Griek said, is the appearance that landfills are

> profit centers for local governments - even in some larger communities

> like Colorado Springs.

> In fact, they are heavily subsidized through hidden supports such as

> land allowances, she said.

> "On some levels, the county commissioners don't want recycling ...

> because they own the landfill, and they make money when people throw

> their garbage away," Griek said.

> Small, far-flung communities could band together to gain economies of

> scale in collection and shipping of recyclables, she said.

> In Grand County, Valley Recycling closed its free 24-hour drop-off

> centers in Fraser and Hot Sulphur Springs because they were growing

> too popular and operated at a loss with each truck carrying materials

> 75 miles to Denver.

> "I was emptying them every single day, year-round," said Karen

> Bloomfield, owner of the recycling company, which continues to pick up

> materials from profitable business accounts.

> "But transportation costs were killing me. We just couldn't keep up,"

> she said.

> "It's really hard to do without government support," Bloomfield said.

> A typical load of glass sold for about $300, she said. It cost her

> about $400 to collect it and ship it to Denver.

> The repercussions are likely to be felt at the landfill in Granby,

> where a landslide last spring is requiring a $4 million shoring-up

> project and its 40-year projected life-span was slashed to six years.

> "It's definitely a finite resource, and the more we can divert out of

> it, the more we can extend its life," said Mike Meindl, the solid-

> waste foreman for Grand County.

> Rather than spreading 6 inches of dirt over each day's deposits,

> operators are now spraying a synthetic material - made of recycled

> paper and plastic - that is only a half-inch thick.

> Valley Recycling maintains a public drop-off center at the dump, but

> residents of the fast-growing eastern part of the county complain that

> they have to drive more than 30 miles round trip to see that their

> refuse is recycled.

> "At some point, you wind up consuming more resources trying to get

> these products to recycling than it saves by recycling," Meindl said.

> Facing political pressure from upset residents, the county and towns

> will have to take over the collection system, Commissioner James

> Newberry said.

> "We can either pay now for recycling or pay a lot more in the future

> for a new landfill," he said. "I think in the long term, we need to

> get a lot more aggressive in what we're doing."

> Newberry said he would like to model a program after the efforts in

> Summit and Pitkin counties, mountain communities that have been able

> to divert as much as 60 percent of waste materials from landfills.

> Carly Wier, executive director of the High Country Conservation Center

> - Summit County's government-supported recycling program, which began

> as a grassroots, all-volunteer effort 31 years ago - said the key is

> community buy-in and an appreciation of the true costs.

> "People need to understand the literal dollar savings," she said.

> "Running a landfill is incredibly expensive. It's vastly cheaper to

> recycle than to bury it."

>

On Oct 24, 6:21 pm, "robw" <noddy...@comcast.net> wrote:

> Progressive communities have recycle bins and specified days where you leave

> the stuff on your curb.

Slight problem there! From the article:

n Grand County, Valley Recycling closed its free 24-hour drop-off

centers in Fraser and Hot Sulphur Springs because they were growing

too popular and operated at a loss with each truck carrying materials

75 miles to Denver.

"I was emptying them every single day, year-round," said Karen

Bloomfield, owner of the recycling company, which continues to pick

up

materials from profitable business accounts.

"But transportation costs were killing me. We just couldn't keep up,"

she said.

"It's really hard to do without government support," Bloomfield said.

A typical load of glass sold for about $300, she said. It cost her

about $400 to collect it and ship it to Denver.

>

> Perhaps Co. should move into the 21st century.

>

> "chatnoir" <wolfbat3...@mindspring.com> wrote in message

>

> news:1193257562.618038.6600@i13g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

>

> >http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7244615

>

> > Green efforts stall in small towns

> > In some far-flung parts of the state, it doesn't pay to have waste

> > shipped to bigger cities.

> > By Steve Lipsher

> > The Denver Post

> > Article Last Updated: 10/22/2007 12:55:38 AM MDT

>

> > When Valley Recycling removed its Fraser drop-off bin last month,

> > residents were faced with a difficult choice:

> > Haul their empty bottles, old newspapers and crushed cans 17 miles to

> > Granby, or just toss them in the trash.

> > Far from urban collection centers and manufacturing mills, many small

> > communities throughout the Rocky Mountains are struggling to make

> > recycling pay.

> > The entire region has fallen behind the rest of the country in the

> > fundamental green effort.

> > "I wish I had an answer," said Marjorie Griek, executive director of

> > the Colorado Association for Recycling.

> > "Demand is great," she said. "But it takes time and money and

> > resources to get something like that in place, and currently we don't

> > have all of those things together here."

> > In diverting only 12.5 percent of waste materials from landfills,

> > Colorado ranks 41st in the nation in recycling, according to BioCycle

> > magazine.

> > Nationally, about 30 percent of waste materials are recycled.

> > Part of the problem, Griek said, is the appearance that landfills are

> > profit centers for local governments - even in some larger communities

> > like Colorado Springs.

> > In fact, they are heavily subsidized through hidden supports such as

> > land allowances, she said.

> > "On some levels, the county commissioners don't want recycling ...

> > because they own the landfill, and they make money when people throw

> > their garbage away," Griek said.

> > Small, far-flung communities could band together to gain economies of

> > scale in collection and shipping of recyclables, she said.

> > In Grand County, Valley Recycling closed its free 24-hour drop-off

> > centers in Fraser and Hot Sulphur Springs because they were growing

> > too popular and operated at a loss with each truck carrying materials

> > 75 miles to Denver.

> > "I was emptying them every single day, year-round," said Karen

> > Bloomfield, owner of the recycling company, which continues to pick up

> > materials from profitable business accounts.

> > "But transportation costs were killing me. We just couldn't keep up,"

> > she said.

> > "It's really hard to do without government support," Bloomfield said.

> > A typical load of glass sold for about $300, she said. It cost her

> > about $400 to collect it and ship it to Denver.

> > The repercussions are likely to be felt at the landfill in Granby,

> > where a landslide last spring is requiring a $4 million shoring-up

> > project and its 40-year projected life-span was slashed to six years.

> > "It's definitely a finite resource, and the more we can divert out of

> > it, the more we can extend its life," said Mike Meindl, the solid-

> > waste foreman for Grand County.

> > Rather than spreading 6 inches of dirt over each day's deposits,

> > operators are now spraying a synthetic material - made of recycled

> > paper and plastic - that is only a half-inch thick.

> > Valley Recycling maintains a public drop-off center at the dump, but

> > residents of the fast-growing eastern part of the county complain that

> > they have to drive more than 30 miles round trip to see that their

> > refuse is recycled.

> > "At some point, you wind up consuming more resources trying to get

> > these products to recycling than it saves by recycling," Meindl said.

> > Facing political pressure from upset residents, the county and towns

> > will have to take over the collection system, Commissioner James

> > Newberry said.

> > "We can either pay now for recycling or pay a lot more in the future

> > for a new landfill," he said. "I think in the long term, we need to

> > get a lot more aggressive in what we're doing."

> > Newberry said he would like to model a program after the efforts in

> > Summit and Pitkin counties, mountain communities that have been able

> > to divert as much as 60 percent of waste materials from landfills.

> > Carly Wier, executive director of the High Country Conservation Center

> > - Summit County's government-supported recycling program, which began

> > as a grassroots, all-volunteer effort 31 years ago - said the key is

> > community buy-in and an appreciation of the true costs.

> > "People need to understand the literal dollar savings," she said.

> > "Running a landfill is incredibly expensive. It's vastly cheaper to

> > recycle than to bury it."