Denver has had residential curbside recycling for more than ten years now and, from what I’ve heard, it’s a pretty good program. The problem is, it’s only for single-family households and multi-family buildings of seven units or less. Multi-family buildings with eight units or more and commercial/office buildings… too bad!
Since Downtown Denver represents the greatest concentration of high-density residential and commercial uses in the city, one can assume that Downtown Denver probably generates more recyclable trash than anywhere else in the city. It doesn’t make any sense then, that the one place in our city with the greatest volume of recyclables is essentially excluded from our public recycling program. Public, as in your tax dollars pay for the program but you don’t get the service if you live in a condo building. (Same thing applies to regular trash pickup too.)
Of course, many people who live and work in the Downtown area do recycle, but doing so must be arranged through a private waste collection company, and you have to pay for the privilege. Since we’re trying to encourage higher-density living in Denver as part of being a more sustainable city, shouldn’t we be providing incentives (like, you know, free recycling) to residents living in multi-family buildings? In fact, maybe what we should do is make Denver residents who live in single-family homes arrange for private trash collection at their own expense (which is the case in many cities) but provide free municipal trash and recycling collection to residents who live in multi-family buildings. Wouldn’t that represent a more efficient use of our city tax dollars and a policy more consistent with our city’s sustainability goals?
There is some good news, however. In April 2008, the city launched a pilot program for municipal recycling collection in selected multi-family residential buildings in the Capitol Hill district. Let’s hope the program becomes permanent and is expanded to other areas in the urban core. Also, the Downtown Denver Partnership and the city recently launched a “single-stream” recycling program for the 16th Street Mall. Hopefully, that will be expanded one day throughout all of Downtown Denver.
Anyway, maximizing recycling in the region’s most densely populated urban place just makes sense and is the right and fair thing for the city to do. What do you think?
I couldn't agree more, Ken. I was recently frustrated when trying to get recycling for my building (9 units) on capitol hill. Denver refused to either provide pickup or give me any options other than paying a private company. When I inquired as to why I am paying property taxes for single family houses to have recycling but not mine, they mentioned their pilot program, but said it would be "years" before they offered service on Capitol Hill. One guy in my building came up with his own solution – just wait for the neighbors to put out their recycling and put his in their container. Of course, on Capitol Hill, the bums will filter most aluminum cans out of the regular trash, but not all recyclables. Why not pay the homeless to go through the trash and get all recyclable materials – helping many different people at once? 🙂
Now is not a good time to start a new recycling program. Now that the value of recyclables has plummeted to a puny fraction of what it was a mere six months ago – to the extent that certain recyclables have been rendered completely worthless – many municipalities are struggling to keep their programs running and some have actually stopped collecting. Recycling contractors across the country are being forced to dump their plastics in landfills as they can't find a buyer and can no longer afford to continue storing the massive excess that has built up. I wouldn't want to see Denver waste money on an expansion of its recycling program, only to see it all end up in a landfill. Hopefully the market will recover when this recession is over but I suspect it won't; the fact is there are just way more recyclables being collected than there could ever be enough demand for.
I'm sorry but I'm afraid a new recycling program for downtown Denver would be a big mistake. Having always been an environmentalist, it's been very difficult for me to come to grips with this new reality, as I'm sure it will be for many of you.
I agree with Phillip: the city should be able to tackle several issues at once with regard to recycling, general maintenance, and dealing with homeless issues.
First of all, the homeless represents a large underutilized workforce and many of them would be willing to work if given the chance. Many may not be well suited for office work, but since the city is setting up temporary homes, shelters, and food services catered for the homeless, can't they expect some work done by them – in an attempt to integrate them back into responsible civic contributions? For example, provide recycling bins for area residents and then give a stipend to the homeless for the amount of material they're able to pick-up and return to a central processing area. Make it a cash incentive program. It would give the homeless something productive to do – other than loiter and pan handle – and provide a positive service for the city. Plus, the homeless would have a method to make money in an honest manner.
This could not only be applied to recycling, but also other needed services. General cleanup, watering trees, removing graffiti, trimming vegetation, pulling weeds. There are numerous little jobs that could be tailored to works program in lieu of cash payment to this troubled section of our community.
I agree, we should provide recycling services to all residents. It is, as Ken says, the right and fair thing to do. It's almost certainly going to cost us a bit, but I think that's a price we're just going to have to figure out how to pay.
I like the idea of putting the homeless to work, but I think that issue might come up elsewhere in Ken's list, so I'll reserve my comments.
Also, this is arguably off-topic but… Why don't we have a "container law" in Colorado? A 5 cent deposit on bottles and cans? Yeah, I know it's a hassle and yeah, I know it's expensive, but I also know it works.
ken i respet you greatly, but i think this one is off-base for various reasons beyond that it woudl be great marketing for denver and the current mayor.
why should the city and our taxes be used for this? buildings over 7 units and commercial enterprises should be able to afford paying for their own private recyclying services. the cost for 2x per month recycling pickup of a recycling dumpster is about $125. this is what alleys are for…
keep in mind that an expansiion of services typically means an expansion of taxes to gov't that rarely is able to do things as well as private services. the "right" thing to do is keep this kind of work in the hands of private employers rather than go through the wasteful cycle of expanding gov't, adding their layer of fees and taxes, and then going out and re-hiring the people that were out of work for 12 months while the program was being structured.
here is a list of local, private waste collectors that offer recycling services:
Eagle Waste & Recycling Services – http://www.eagledatadestruction.com – (303) 761-8387
Alpine Waste & Recycling – http://www.alpinewaste.com – (303) 744-9881
Garbagio – http://www.garbagio.com – (303) 274-1500
Waste Connections of Colorado Inc – http://www.wasteconnections.com – (303) 288-2100
finally, stipends for the homeless? it's already in place – they collect and sell steel and tin. no reason to bother adding a program for this.
The more integration you can get in transforming the homeless into a meaningful workforce to carry out menial -though value added services for the city… the better. It adds a dignity of work, provides real services, and allows a "safety net" of public works that will ensure someone has the means to afford the most basic food and shelter necessary. I wouldn't like sorting through other people's trash, but if it allowed me to earn $40 per day to get me a warm bed and warm food when there are no other options – then it becomes a lifeline.
Totally agree, Ken. We need to come up with a solution for all.
Is it logistical reasons that MDUs are not serviced? Since the city now has a huge single bin for the rest of us to use (its a fantastic service) why don't they just put a purple dumpster for recycling next to the ones for trash?
I'm not sure of the current market for recycled materials but if there is a glut then we all need to buy more products with recycled content.
One other city service that needs to get out of pilot mode is the green bin composting program. If this is rolled out through out the city then we will dramatically reduce the volume going to landfills. The great thing about this program is that the city will collect dairy/meats as well all the standard compost materials.
As Freddie pointed out the recycling world is facing a challenge with the recession. We finally have a large volume of materials being diverted from the landfill (California diverted 58% in 2007) but now the demand for that material is down. But the explanantion points once again to our dependence on foreign markets. Our increase in recycling came from China and Asia's boom. Most of our materials are shipped over seas, processed, manufactured into products and sent back to us for sale. Now that the demand for products has decreased so has the demand for materials (raw and used).
But instead of, as Freddie suggested, turning our back on recycling; the industry now needs to find better use for these products as well as more local utilization in manufacturing and production of these materials.
In 2007 only glass was kept and used in Colorado from recycling facilities at a rate of almost 90%. This is due to Coors buying back the glass to make new beer bottles.
All the other materials (paper, cardboard, metal, tin, etc…) are shipped out of state at an average of 75-99% of total collections.
I am not in the manufacturing business but off the top of my head I can think of more than a few companies that package material right here in CO. Boulder Chips, Izze, Mix One, Celestial Seasonings. Why are these companies not utilizing the waste they create and buying it back.
And maybe they are, probably should research that before stating it but just a quick thought.
I think the long term solution is to use recyclables for new innovative processes and local manufacturing.
Everyone keeps stating that America is losing its step as the world innovator, well here is another avenue that inventions and new ideas could help not only a struggling industry but could help Denver and other cities stay on the "sustainable city" track.
As far as private vs. municipal recycling programs. Haven't we always seen private industry stepping up and dealing with problems at a much faster and efficient rate than government programs?