Boulder County, Colo.
Although recycling has become common practice in residential homes and in workplaces, one concept that isn’t commonly understood is “Zero Waste.” Zero Waste is a concept which focuses on reducing needless consumption, minimizing waste, maximizing recycling, and incentivizing the manufacturing of products that can be intentionally reused, repaired, or recycled back into the marketplace. In 2005, Boulder County adopted Zero Waste as a guiding principle and made a resolution to set the county on a path to achieve a goal of “Zero Waste – or darn near” throughout Boulder County by 2025. Zero Waste has the potential to inspire lifestyle modifications and change how businesses and governments behave. The Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF) plays a role in helping reach the countywide Zero Waste goal. The Facility accepts most types of household wastes that are traditionally hard to recycling including latex and oil based paints and stains, motor oil, antifreeze and other automotive products, garden, hobby and pet products, fluorescent bulbs, and more. Throughout 2016 the HMMF focused on maximizing recycling in sectors where recycling has been minor. HMMF staff identified waste streams that could be recycled with just a few extra steps, instead of being sent to the landfill. This helped move paint, rigid plastics, aerosols, and camping propane cylinders from primarily landfilled items to mostly recyclable.
Contact:
Ms. Barb Halpin
Public Information Officer
