The city of Boulder had the best city residential and commercial recycling and composting rate anywhere in the state, at 52 percent, according to a new report out from the local nonprofit group Eco-Cycle, which is based in Boulder County.
And Boulder County is leading the way in recycling and composting efforts amid a low statewide recycling rate, according to the report. Other Front Range cities also had high individual recycling rates - Loveland had the highest residential-only recycling rate in the state, at 58 percent; and Fort Collins had the highest industrial recycling rate, at 82 percent, for its prowess in recycling concrete and crushed aggregate. Longmont was noted in the report for various programs, but did not have any individual standout area.
One major finding of the report is that there's been a drop in the total amount of municipal waste generated in Colorado, even as the state's population has increased. That amount of waste went from over 7 million tons in 2018 to 6.87 million tons in 2023.
"We don't know why that is, but that is the direction that we want to keep going in," said Randy Moorman, director of policy and campaigns at Eco-Cycle. "We need to be focusing more and more on how we reduce and how we reuse."
On the recycling side, Colorado's composting and recycling rate is 15.5% - below the national rate, Moorman said. But for the cities with high recycling rates, including Boulder, success comes down to strong educational programs, volume-based pricing for trash disposal and curbside recycling options, according to Eco-Cycle.
Boulder County municipalities are at the forefront of recycling and composting, according to the report. Longmont and Lafayette recently joined Boulder in implementing a universal recycling ordinance, which requires commercial and multi-family properties to offer recycling pickup to residents.
"It's exciting to see them do that and address that major part of the waste stream from commercial businesses," Moorman said.
Boulder officials champion critical waste diversion programs, as well. City workers partner with Eco-Cycle to host electronic waste collection events for low-income residents, which Moorman said serves around 800 households. The city also offers a rebate program for businesses to buy reusable products.
Additionally, the statewide recycling rate is expected to improve after Colorado's producer responsibility program begins in 2026. The program will make free curbside recycling available to every Colorado resident.
"We're trying to become leaders, and we are making some headway," Moorman said. "We're starting to see the country look to Colorado, now, in leading, especially with things like producer responsibility."
The report also calls out batteries and their hazardous materials as important to remove from the waste stream. Eco-Cycle plans to encourage policymakers to adopt a producer responsibility program for batteries during the 2025 legislative session.
Another major finding of the report is the importance of diverting organic materials, such as food scraps, away from landfills. According to the report, 40% of the waste going into Colorado's landfills is organic and could be composted.
Diverting the organic materials from landfills reduces methane emissions, among other things. Eco-Cycle is spearheading a program to offer composting systems at five farms around Boulder County. Eco-Cycle builds storage units for farms to create aerated static pile compost. The system uses an air pump to distribute oxygen throughout the pile and the compost is used on the farm where it's made. Eco-Cycle hopes to bring composting systems to 10 additional farms next year.
"It's a low-tech system, and it helps the farmers out who don't have time to turn compost," said Rutger Myers, Eco-Cycle's compost director.
Myers said local residents can help Eco-Cycle's composting efforts by participating in Community Supported Agriculture programs, and by learning what is and isn't compostable.
"It's a world-saver," Myers said of composting. "It's something proactive that we can do."