Recycling right is the key to maximizing its benefit; understanding what can be recycled locally keeps the materials stream clean and marketable. There are items in the “NO” section of our local guidelines that are recyclable in other areas. This is because each recycling center employs a unique mix of equipment and processing methods, which…
An estimated 55,000 mattresses and box springs are discarded each day in the US, resulting in 450 million pounds of waste annually and filling more than 100 million feet of landfill space. Spring Back Colorado, Western Disposal’s partner in mattress recycling, located in Commerce City and serving counties in the Mountains and across the Front…
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” –Maya Angelou Whether you’re a crafter, an artist, a teacher or a parent in search of kids crafting supplies, Art Parts Creative Reuse Center, located at 3080 Valmont in Boulder, is calling your name. Established in 2011, the founders of this…
There is huge opportunity to recycle items that cannot go into your curbside bin. Often referred to as ‘hard-to-recycle’, these items are typically heavy, bulky or require special handling or disposal. Accessibility and convenience are key to increasing recycling participation, and when designing our new Materials Management Center (MMC), located at 2051 63rd Street in…
It will be no surprise to readers that due to the rapid pace of technology and burgeoning consumer demand, electronic waste is now the world’s fastest-growing waste stream. Most electronic devices reach the end of their useful life after only a year or two, and in many households, the need to responsibly dispose of electronics…
The PBS/Frontline exposé Plastic Wars focuses on the dubious origin of the recycle symbol.
“Old rags, any old rags!” was a call heard on many city streets from the late nineteenth century into the 1960s, as the rag man rumbled by collecting textiles from households. In fact, textile recycling can be traced all the way back to the Napoleonic wars (1803-1815) when virgin wool shortages resulted in the requirement…
Many types of packaging used for bathroom products are recyclable, but as a recycling opportunity the bathroom is frequently overlooked. Follow these simple guidlelines for recycling right in the bathroom. A dedicated container in the area adds convenience and makes recycling more practical. Add a small bin under the sink for recyclables. Labels do not…
What do equipment downtime, excessive maintenance, added labor costs and reduced commodity values all have in common? They all can result from contamination in the recycling stream. Follow these simple rules to keep the recycling stream clean and the Boulder County Recycling Center operating efficiently: 1. NO LOOSE PLASTIC BAGS AND NO MATERIAL IN PLASTIC…
Virtually all of us at one time or another have enjoyed the convenience and ease of online shopping to purchase everything from toothpaste to mattresses. With companies such as Amazon, Instacart, Blue Apron, in addition to the online options from traditional retailers, Americans spent over $500 billion in online purchases in 2018. However, this convenience…
Plastic bags are one of the most pernicious, problematic materials for recycling facilities. They cannot be sorted mechanically and as a result they roll along the sorting lines getting tangled up in the screens, jamming the machinery and costing time and money to extract.
You’ve got the basics down, now it’s time to up your game. Take the “pulp fiction” quiz below to see how well you know the Boulder County Recycling Center’s paper recycling guidelines. Fact or fiction – the following papers are recyclable: Copy or printer paper-ream wrappers Hanging and file folders Construction paper and tissue paper…
