{"id":2445395,"date":"2019-06-16T21:44:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T03:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/survey-says-keep-paying-for-aspen-recycling-center\/"},"modified":"2019-06-17T08:08:33","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T14:08:33","slug":"survey-says-keep-paying-for-aspen-recycling-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/survey-says-keep-paying-for-aspen-recycling-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey says keep paying for Aspen recycling center"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.4166666666667\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-308064-517\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times | Julia Farwell of the City of Aspen's Enivronmental Health and Sustainability department cleans up messes made by users of the Rio Grande Recylcing Center Sunday.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>Julia Farwell of the City of Aspen&#8217;s Enivronmental Health and Sustainability department cleans up messes made by users of the Rio Grande Recylcing Center Sunday.<\/strong><br \/>Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1.jpg\" alt=\"Julia Farwell of the City of Aspen's Enivronmental Health and Sustainability department cleans up messes made by users of the Rio Grande Recylcing Center Sunday.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times |\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p>Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-1.jpg\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times |\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p>Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-2.jpg\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times |\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p>Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/recycling-atd-061719-1-3.jpg\" alt><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/survey-says-keep-paying-for-aspen-recycling-center\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/survey-says-keep-paying-for-aspen-recycling-center\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Aspen City Council is expected to decide the fate of the <a id=\"N0x271af40N0x25b7380:N0x271af40N0x251f418\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofaspen.com\/345\/Rio-Grande-Recycle-Center\">Rio Grande Recycling Center<\/a> tonight, and after a monthslong survey of users, the overwhelming sentiment is to keep it open no matter the cost.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Pitkin County\u2019s $250,000 annual subsidy to have a waste hauler pick up recyclables at the center ends in August, leaving it to the city to pick up the tab, the costs of which are growing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The county removed funding of all public recycle centers outside of its own solid waste center when it <a id=\"N0x271af40N0x25b74a0:N0x271af40N0x251f5c8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/pitkin-county-to-prompt-valley-wide-recycling-changes-looking-to-end-drop-off-sites\/\">required all haulers<\/a> to provide curbside recycling at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The city has mandated haulers provide curbside recycling since 2005 but only about 30% of residents use that service, according to Liz Chapman, the city\u2019s environmental health specialist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She said reasons for not taking advantage of curbside are based mostly on misconceptions of recycling. They either think it\u2019s not getting recycled by the haulers, or they don\u2019t think it makes a difference. Others are worried about contamination or don\u2019t understand how it works.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cRather than getting it wrong they just don\u2019t try,\u201d Chapman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But at the recycling center, they feel like they have more control of where their cardboard, plastic milk jug or aluminum can goes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Users also like it because it\u2019s a gathering place where they run into other like-minded community members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">To increase curbside use, a massive education and marketing campaign would be needed, which is expensive, Chapman noted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Anecdotal data indicate almost half of the users at the Rio Grande Recycle Center live outside of Aspen\u2019s city limits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That\u2019s what Chapman and her team learned after conducting <a id=\"N0x271af40N0x25b7500:N0x271af40N0x251fad8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspencommunityvoice.com\/rio-grande-recycle-center\">surveys<\/a> both online and in person from March to May.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over 90% of those who participated favor funding recycling operations at the center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Out of 544 votes, 52% of those polled want the city to continue single-stream recycling, and nearly 45% prefer targeting specific materials for recycling, according to Chapman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She estimated that staying with the status quo of <a id=\"N0x271af40N0x25b7560:N0x271af40N0x251fd18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/aspen-sorting-out-the-future-of-its-recycling-center\/\">single stream-recycling<\/a> could cost as much as $500,000 a year for a vendor to collect, sort and send the materials to market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Changing the center to targeted recyclable collection could reduce the cost to between $75,000 and $200,000 a year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over the past two decades, the value of recyclables, which include paper, aluminum and plastic, have dropped by 50% while labor, equipment and fuel costs have steadily risen, according to Chapman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But the prices for selling materials have been dropping, especially because global markets that have traditionally processed recyclables have changed their policies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cLocal waste haulers have responded to this changing environment by charging more for their services,\u201d Chapman said, noting that haulers lose $100 a ton on recycling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Chapman is recommending that the city keep with the single-stream program for a year and then phase into targeted recycling in August of 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She also plans to suggest to council that perhaps the city and county can split the costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere\u2019s a clear mandate from the community to keep it open,\u201d Chapman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Cathy Hall, manager of the <a id=\"N0x271af40N0x25b75c0:N0x271af40N0x2520228\" href=\"https:\/\/www.landfillrules.com\/contact\">Pitkin County Solid Waste Center<\/a>, said it\u2019s not fiscally responsible to keep paying for a hauler to pick up recycling if it can be done at the curb.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense to keep funding a center if people in the county have curbside recycling,\u201d she said, adding that recyclables also can be dropped for free at the solid waste center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Although recycling saves energy, conserves resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves landfill space, it requires technology, labor and money, Chapman noted. And costs continue to increase when dealing with contaminated loads, shifting consumer habits and preferences, and new policies in accepting materials enacted by other nations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Despite those challenges, the Rio Grande has continued to provide Aspen and the surrounding community free access to single-stream recycling, textile recycling and household battery recycling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In 2017, users of the center deposited just over 1,160 tons, which is 20% of materials diverted from the Pitkin County landfill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">If that material was not diverted, Aspen\u2019s recycling diversion rate would drop from 27% to 20%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aspen\u2019s diversion rate is high compared with the state\u2019s, which is 11%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aspen\u2019s contamination rate is 8%, which also is far lower than other resort communities and the state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cFifteen percent is what you hope for. \u2026 Statewide it\u2019s 25%,\u201d Chapman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">She said despite the complexities of recycling, the ever-changing economical landscape and the costs involved, it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Consumption is the bigger challenge, Chapman said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThink about what you are going to do with the thing before you buy the thing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:csackariason@aspentimes.com\">csackariason@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/survey-says-keep-paying-for-aspen-recycling-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Julia Farwell of the City of Aspen&#8217;s Enivronmental Health and Sustainability department cleans up messes made by users of the Rio Grande Recylcing Center Sunday.Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times Jeremy Wallace\/The Aspen Times Show CaptionsHide Captions Aspen City Council is expected to decide the fate of the Rio [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2445395","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-19 20:06:36","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2445395"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2445409,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2445395\/revisions\/2445409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2445395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2445395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2445395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}