Spotlights

In this audio interview, 102.5 FM Morning Radio Show Host Paul Wozniak sits down with Environmental Planner Caroline Mitchell to discuss the City's new paper carton recycling program. Listen to the interview by clicking on the green and white “play" button located near the middle of the blog post. 

The City of Fort Collins is committed to reducing waste, and one of the best ways to accomplish this is to prevent items from reaching the landfill through recycling efforts. Paper carton recycling is a positive step towards reaching our goal of minimizing waste in the community. Have questions about what can and can't be recycled? Here are some common questions and their answers to help guide you.

Paper carton recycling has arrived in Fort Collins! Effective immediately, residents have the opportunity to include food and beverage cartons in their curbside recycling bins.

Cartons are also now accepted at the City's Recycling Drop-Off Site at 1702 Riverside, in the commingled containers bin. Examples of cartons now accepted include milk, juice, soup and tofu cartons, as well as juice boxes. Please rinse the cartons and remove caps or straws. For those of you who live closer to the Larimer County Landfill, cartons can be dropped off at their recycling site as well. Check out our FAQ sheet or our press release to learn more details.

After last October's big snowstorm, the City of Fort Collins' Streets Department led clean-up efforts and collected over 21,000 cubic yards of branches and turned them into mulch. Now, that mulch is available to the public at no charge at the City’s Crushing Operations facility, located at 1380 Hoffman Mill Road. Mulch will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis until it's gone and is available during the facility’s regular operating hours, Monday through Friday, 7am to 5pm.

Not able to make it during the above dates and times? No problem! The Rivendell Reycling drop-off facility has mulch available year-round from morning until dusk!

Interested in launching into spring with a discounted Soilsaver composting bin? Then visit the Gardens on Spring Creek's Plant Sale event on Saturday, May 12, 2012, from 9am–4pm.

Soilsavers will be sold at the discounted rate of $50 and are available while supplies last. Quantities are limited, so act soon! Call (970) 416-2486 to inquire about availability.

Interested in learning more about composting? Learn the do's and dont's of how to use your Soilsaver at "The Art and Science of Composting" seminar FREE! 

The Waste Reduction & Recycling program has unveiled its 2012 "i-Recycle" campaign. In this first series of the visual campaign, we encourage 20-somethings in Fort Collins to recycle because it's hip, easy, and the right thing to do. We launch this year's campaign with the visual story of Eric Bjorlo, a forestry college student in Fort Collins who's an avid recycler. Take a look at Eric's story and why he recycles. You can also view this short video that will give you a flavor of how Eric, his room mates, and some of his friends incorporate recycling into their recreation time.

If you have old prescriptions gathering dust in your bathroom cabinet, you'll have the ideal opportunity to drop them off on Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10 am to 2 pm! The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is partnering once again with local law enforcement agencies for the annual National Prescription Drug-Take-Back Day.

Unused, unneeded, and expired over-the-counter and prescription medications will be accepted at the Fort Collins Police Services, north parking lot, at 2221 Timberline Road. The service is anonymous, and the goal of this program is to bring national attention to the issue of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse as well as proper disposal methods.

Local bike courier Rob Martin has partnered with local restaurants Enzio’s and Austin’s to divert food waste from finding its way to the landfill. Instead, Martin pedals the restaurants’ leftovers to compost bins called “Earth Tubs.” Thanks for federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the City was able to purchase the Earth Tubs as part of a pilot project.

So far, Martin estimates more than 15,000 pounds of food waste has been saved and converted to high-quality compost that is then used in the City’s downtown flower beds and planters. According to the City’s Senior Environmental Planner Susie Gordon, the Earth Tubs have helped the City take steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Given that organic waste (such as food scraps) takes up about 30% of landfill space, she adds, composting has a real impact. Read the full story.

Do you have unwanted batteries, paints, pesticides, cleaning and automotive products, compact fluorescent bulbs, or items containing mercury that you need to dispose of properly? If so, you can bring them to the parking lot at the northwest corner of Lake Street and College Avenue (on CSU’s campus) from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, June 2 and Saturday, September 15, 2012. Get the full scoop.

Have you been wanting to start a recycling or composting program at your workplace? Or hoping to have recycling options at your apartment complex? Now’s a great time to start! The City of Fort Collins' Waste Reductioon and Recycling Assistance Program (WRAP) is now offering financial incentives for businesses and multi-family complexes to start such programs.

Take a quick peek at the WRAP overview. If you'd like more details, this brochure can help you. Thanks to this program, you could even get a financial incentive for referring someone to start a program!

Find out what the City organization is up to with the launch of its fun "Recycle Everywhere You Go" educational campaign. In this audio interview, Environmental Planner Caroline Mitchell speaks with Mid-Day Host Paul Wozniak of Tri-102.5 FM about recycling no matter where you go and how to access the many resources available to make this easy. You'll also learn about a series of new rebate and referral incentive programs to encourage recycling and composting at businesses and multi-family complexes.

Got an old, unused, or broken laptop? Now's a great time to take advantage of a new laptop collection program that helps divert e-waste from the landfill while also providing funds to benefit Poudre School District! Simply go to the City's Rivendell Recycling Center at 1702 Riverside and look for the green container labeled "Greenback Laptops". Learn more about the new partnership between the City of Fort Collins' municipality and Greenback LLC through this press release, or visit Greenback Laptops

Confused about the 1-7 "symbols" on plastics containers, what they really mean, what they're manufactured as, what they're recycled into, and what local options are available for each? Now you can get the general scoop on plastic recycling from this handy poster.

The "I Recycle" educational campaign sponsored by the Waste Reduction & Recycling program has been sharing with citizens of Fort Collins why they recycle and why it's a good and easy thing to do.

Paul Wozniak, midday host for Tri 102.5 FM, recently blogged about the City's initiatives to spread this message to people in our community. Recently he also caught up with Environmental Planner Caroline Mitchell to learn more about the options and resources available in our community. Take a listen to the interview found at the bottom of the blog entry.

The Waste Reduction & Recycling Program is pleased to announce "Recyle Everywhere You Go," a new and fun outreach campagin to remind and inform Fort Collins citizens that recycling is an easy thing to do no matter where you go. Learn more.

Check out this nifty video on the new solar compacting trash and recycling bins around Fort Collins! Learn how these new “Solar Bellies” found around town are helping us all recycle bottles, cans, and paper away from home. 

See how easy they are to use.

As part of a new Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling (SWR&R) program that encourages residents of all ages to take their personal recycling and waste diversion initiatives to the next level, the City of Fort Collins has launched a new "I Recycle" Campaign.

In the first of a series of outreach initiatives that will feature children, college students, and seniors, a poster featuring kids from the Rivendell School (PDF) explain whey they recycle! at the City's recycling drop-off center at 1702 Riverside.

Got a story to share about you recycle? We’d love to hear it. Drop by a few lines on Facebook by visiting fcgov.com/facebook

Just in time for the holidays, remember you can voluntarily upgrade your recycling bin to one with a lid, wheels and bigger capacity (64-gallon or 96-gallon). Call your hauler today and get your bin ordered. Haulers are required to deliver upgraded recycling bins to customers who request them.
For details, see press release »

Have you been wanting to recycle more at curbside? Super! Now you can. Recently adopted changes to the “Pay-As-You Throw” (PAYT) trash ordinance enable you to call your trash hauler and request a bigger recycling cart.

Did you know that by “right sizing” your trash, you could save money? This ongoing option is available to Fort Collins citizens living in single-family homes. Starting in the third quarter billing cycle, trash bills will have a new look intended to help you understand more clearly how variable rates work based on your “usage” of disposal services. The less you throw away, the less you pay!

Here are a few resources to help you stay current on the new PAYT amendments, how it impacts you and a listing of residential curbside recycling.

• Q&A’s: Recycling & Trash Options in Fort Collins (PDF 79KB)
• Pay-As-You-Throw Ordinance Update
• Pay-As-You-Throw Programs Help Climate Change Challenge (PDF 37KB)
• Volume-Based Rates
• “Recycling Can Help Add Green to Your Wallet” (Coloradoan - July 20, 2009 PDF 56KB)
• “Downsize Your Garbage Can & Save Some Mulah!” (PDF 38KB)
• “Bigger Recycling Carts Available from Trash Haulers” (press release)
• Amended PAYT Ordinance (PDF 527KB)
• Residential Curbside Recycling Guide (PDF 100KB)
  Guide for single-family homes
• Expanded Plastics Recycling in Fort Collins (PDF 55KB)
  List of accepted & unacceptable plastics
• Got Questions or Comments?

A glass recycling initiative offers residents of Fort Collins, Larimer County and Loveland (PDF) the option of participating in a programthat ensures nearly 100% recyclability of their glass bottles and jars.

Learn more:

• Coloradoan Column: "Team Tackles Tricky Task of Recycling Glass" (PDF 21KB)
• Article: "Glass Recycling Initiative Launches" (PDF 27KB)
• Glass Recycling Drop-off Centers & Types of Glass Accepted (PDF 112KB)
• Glass Recycling Questions and Answers (PDF 69KB)
• "Best Management Practices for Glass Recycling in Northern Colorado" (PDF 653KB)
• Got Questions or Comments?

Replacing traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is an easy way to make your home more energy efficient and save money on your utility bill. Modern CFLs are available in numerous styles, produce great light, and last much longer than standard bulbs. CFLs do contain small amounts of mercury, however, so residents are encouraged to handle bulbs properly should they break (PDF 591KB) and to recycle expired CFLs instead of throwing them out with the trash. Local CFL recycling options include the Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility , Downtown Ace Hardware, Clay's Ace Hardware, Drake Hardware and Lumber, and the Light Center. Learn more ->>

Upwards of 30% of our community waste stream is comprised of C&D (construction and demolition) materials, much of which can be recovered and reused. ReSource accepts tax-deductible donations of used and recovered building materials and sells them back to the community at low cost.

Visit the www.resourceyard.org or call 498.9663 (WOOD) for more information. ReSource is located at 1501 North College Ave in Fort Collins, and is open Monday - Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday, 11am-4pm.

Eco-Thrift features pre-owned furniture, clothing and sportswear, outdoor gear, electronics, appliances, furniture, tools, and garden items. The 100% green energy powered store also accepts donations of working used items, providing an alternative to landfilling. Pick-up service is available. For more information call 484.4224 or visitwww.eco-thrift.com. The store is located at 208 N Howes St, Fort Collins.

Think globally, recycle (and reuse) locally. The Freecycle Network is a grassroots materials exchange network. The rules are simple: everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. The Fort Collins Freecycle Group has over 4,000 active members. Other Northern Colorado groups include Loveland, Greeley and Longmont. Cleaning the garage and can't bear to landfill all that accumulated stuff? Freecycle it!

Thinking about doing a little foundation work, reconstructing the driveway or just tidying up the yard of old cement chunks? If so, you'll be happy to learn that the City has a program open to the public that will recycle those materials (free) as road-base to go underneath the paving in city streets.

Learn more ->>

The Larimer County "Garbage Garage" waste education center opened April 26, 2003 and features educational and interactive displays about the problems associated with an overabundance of trash. "Patty Packrat" directs visitors through the Garbage Garage, starting with the Mountain of Trash and from there you can choose from a variety of exits into areas depicting various methods of handling waste: reducing, reusing and recycling or landfilling. Enter the kitchen/garage area to learn what household hazardous wastes are and how to safely handle them.

The Garbage Garage is located at the Larimer County Landfill, 5887 S. Taft Hill Road, Fort Collins. The center sits just north of the recycling bins. For more information, visit the Larimer County website or call 498-5772.