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Change is coming to your
trash collection service...
Boulder County has updated its Trash Hauler Ordinance to help reduce
waste and increase recycling (and composting*) for residential trash
customers in unincorporated Boulder County.
Together with your trash hauler, you will now be able to choose a trash
collection and waste reduction plan for your household that conserves resources,
sends fewer discards to the landfill and provides you with the convenience of
unlimited recycling (and composting*) right
at your curb or driveway.
*Composting offered to limited areas.
What changes are coming?
Boulder County has adopted new policies that apply to all
trash and recycling haulers in unincorporated Boulder County and which will be
implemented by February 1, 2009. Some haulers have opted to implement the
provisions as early as this summer in order to ensure that they are fully in
compliance by the February 2009 deadline. These changes include:
These changes include:
- “Pay-as-You-Throw” disposal pricing tiers
- “Single Stream” Recycling (all
recyclables together in one bin) recycling (with unlimited
collection)
- Curbside Compost Collections in certain
neighborhoods.
The ordinance provides a level playing field for licensed trash
haulers in Boulder County; all haulers are required to provide similar
services, but they set their own rates based on their particular costs
of providing those services.
What does this mean for
me?
The new provisions in the ordinance provide you with a convenient, flexible
way to recycle more and waste less. By making sensible choices about how much
you throw away, recycle or compost,
you help control your costs for trash
hauling services. Also, you continue to choose your vendor for residential trash
collection.
Pay-as-You-Throw:
Empowering smart choices and rewarding waste reduction
All haulers operating in unincorporated Boulder County will be implementing a
new system known as volume-based disposal, or “Pay-as-You-Throw.”
Similar to the way you pay for electricity, gas and other utilities, this
system charges based on how much you consume – in this case, the amount of
trash you generate that must be hauled away to a landfill. Foothills and
mountain areas will be offered different service structures than those offered
on the plains.
Your trash hauler will send you customized
plan options based on where you live. You choose the plan that works best
for your household!
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Single Stream Recycling: One bin for recyclable
paper, plastics, glass and metals
In order to increase recycling for the region, Boulder County has invested in
facilities that will eliminate the need to separate recyclable materials into
multiple bins. Now you can combine all approved recyclables in one bin:
cardboard, paper, steel, aluminum, glass and plastic (#1, #2 and #5) bottles and
jars.
Studies and successful projects around the country have shown that
Single-Stream recycling results in a higher rate of recycling by a greater
number of people. This system saves time and effort, making it easy to
recycle. Single-Stream Recycling will also have a significant impact on your
ability to control your Pay-as-You-Throw rates.
You can also reduce your waste by starting at the source: Shop smart,
choosing products that can be recycled or reused; buy in bulk; and avoid
products with excess packaging.
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Curbside Compost
Collections
Many of the materials that end up in landfills can actually be composted.
These are “organic” materials such as food waste, grass clippings, leaves and
small tree limbs and branches – items that can be turned into compost for our
gardens. Your hauler will notify you if you qualify for this service; if you do
not, we encourage you to compost in your own backyard! We can help show you how.
Why is this
happening?
After more than two years of study and discussion on how to provide residents
with the most affordable, effective, and flexible options for reducing household
waste, the Resource Conservation Advisory Board*
recommended to
the Board of County Commissioners that they
adopt these changes to the County’s trash hauler ordinance.
In December, 2007, the commissioners approved these recommendations in order to:
- Advance our countywide goal of
achieving Zero Waste “or darn near” by 2025 through waste reduction
policies, outreach and programs.
- Ensure that residents of
unincorporated Boulder County receive recycling services as part of their
basic refuse plans.
- Make it easier to recycle and
compost, and thus reduce unnecessary waste going to landfills.
- Reflect the real costs of waste
generation, which takes up space in landfills, uses more energy than
recycling, consumes limited resources and results in greenhouse gas
emissions.
Thank you for participating in this step
forward towards our goal of becoming a Zero Waste (“or darn near”) community.
Together, we are building a better world for ourselves and future generations!
For more information about these changes and to learn more about how you can
reduce the amount of materials you throw out, call
Boulder County Resource Conservation Division at
720-564-2242.
*RCAB is made up of at-large residents,
haulers, non-profit organizations and public representatives of the county,
towns and cities of Boulder County.
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