Spotlights

Wondering Where to Recycle Your Xmas Tree this Holiday Season?

The holidays are around the corner, so here's a little information on where you can recycle your Christmas tree for FREE (PDF 138KB) in December and January! Brought to you by the City of Fort Collins and the Larimer County Solid Waste Department. Don't forget to remove all decorations before you take it to the nearest recycling site.

Leaf Exchange a Mouse Click Away

Whether you need more leaves for your compost pile before winter arrives, or whether you’re looking to keep this year’s leaf heaps out of the landfill, Leaf Exchange is the place to visit. Sponsored by the Natural Resources Department through Yahoo! Groups, Leaf Exchange facilitates the exchange between leaf seekers and leaf donors directly. If you’d prefer to find a place where you can drop off your leaves, then check out these leaf drop-of locations.

To learn more about this program, check out this article: "Leaf Exchange Program Available for Leaf Givers & Seekers" (PDF 43KB).

Now's the Time to Upgrade Your Recycling Bin

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 before the holiday rush. Haulers are required to deliver upgraded recycling bins no later than January 1, 2010.
For details, see press release »

Compost Happens

Find out what Connie Meyer, volunteer coordinator & project manager at the Gardens on Spring Creek, has to say about how you can do your part with composting!

Recycle More & “Right Size” Your Trash

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?

Option Available to Increase Effectiveness of Glass Recycling & Reduce Landfill Waste

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

Learn more:

• Coloradoan Column: "Team Tackles Tricky Task of Recycling Glass" (pdf)
• Article: "Glass Recycling Initiative Launches" (pdf)
• Glass Recycling Drop-off Centers & Types of Glass Accepted (pdf)
• Glass Recycling Questions and Answers (pdf; updated 10 November 2008)
• "Best Management Practices for Glass Recycling in Northern Colorado" (2008) (1 mb pdf)
• Got Questions or Comments?

New EPA Guidelines for Proper Electronics Recycling Released

To encourage electronics recyclers to implement more sustainable and healthy practices in their e-waste recycling programs, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of an industry stakeholder group, released a new set of guidelines.

Learn more ->>

CFL Recycling.

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 ->>

Buy and Donate Reusable Building Materials at ReSource.

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 is "Reuse in action"

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 visit www.eco-thrift.com. The store is located at 208 N Howes St, Fort Collins.

Re-Cycle Your Bicycle

The volunteer-run Fort Collins Bicycle Co-Op, is located at 331 North College Avenue (484-3804). The Bike Co-Op refurbishes bikes for individuals and families who are financially challenged and also conducts an Earn-a-Bike program for at risk youths and adults. Bicycles that cannot be refurbished are recycled, including all scrap metal (at Aragon Iron and Metal) and tires and tubes (at New Belgium Brewing Company).

Thanks for re-cycling! Learn more ->>

New Community Exchange Website launched

The Fort Collins Community Exchange recently launched as an on-line bulletin board where citizens can get rid of their gently used goods and materials through barter, for free, or in exchange for other items. For example, one category space is reserved for gardeners who want to exchange plants, seeds, materials, ideas, advice, and even home-grown produce. Other categories include a moving-box exchange, a book exchange, and a building materials / tools exchange.

Community organizers and businesses are invited to post announcements and calendar events to the Fort Collins Community Exchange. Users are able to personalize their profile, attach documents, and send private messages to other community members without utilizing their own email. Learn more ->>

Other exchange type websites include: Leaf Exchange, Compost Worm Exchange and FreeCycle.

Fort Collins FreeCycle Network

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!

Streets Crushing Operations Site

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. Materials accepted include:

• clean fill dirt
• pit run (clean direct and rock mixture)
• bricks
• concrete chuncks (small, clean chunks, no rebar or wire mesh, no wood, other contaminants or excessive dirt)
• clean, broken or milled asphalt

Learn more ->>

The Garbage Garage Education Center

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.

Vegetable Oil Recycling Opportunities for Residents

Fort Collins residents eager to find a way to recycle their waste vegetable oil (WVO) will be able to take advantage of a new innovative partnership. Starting in early December, the City started piloting WVO drop-off services for residents at two local businesses. Habitat Home Supply Store and Eco-Thrift will begin accepting WVO, which will then be manufactured into biodiesel.

Habitat can be reached at 223-9909 and is located at 4001 S. Taft Hill Road. Habitat's hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, from 9 am until 5:30 pm. Eco-Thrift can be contacted at 484-4224 and is located at 208 N. Howes Street. Eco-Thrift is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm.

It's critically important not to drop off WVO except during hours of operations at partnering business' stores; unattended drop-offs could compromise the long-term viability of this innovative new project.