The City of Glenwood Springs was awarded $149,600 grant from Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity, administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Funds will go towards a new recycling facility at 13th and Pitkin Avenue.
Glenwood Springs Wins Competitive Grant to Expand Its Recycling Program, Seeks Community Input on New Facility
State-sponsored grants divert waste from landfills and creates new green-sector jobs
Glenwood Springs, CO – The City of Glenwood Springs has been awarded a $149,600 grant in recognition of plans to expand its recycling program and create new green-sector jobs. The funding is part of the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) grant program, which is administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
As an RREO grant recipient, the City of Glenwood Springs will be able to reestablish a convenient recycling center in downtown Glenwood Springs with the goal of initially increasing the City’s recycling rate by 25% to return to pre-2015 levels.
The City of Glenwood Springs will hold a neighborhood viewing event on Thursday July 23, 2020 at 5:30PM at the site of the new recycling center at 13th and Pitkin Avenue. The public is encouraged to come by and view site plan proposals and ask staff questions. The City is looking for input on the design and operation of the facility including hours of service.
The event will be outside and social distancing measures required. The City will also conduct a virtual meeting with the same information on Wednesday, July 29 at 4:30 PM. Access information for the virtual meeting will be available on the City’s agenda website at http://cogs.us/129/Agendas-Minutes
Colorado has made strides when it comes to diverting trash from landfills by reducing, reusing and recycling waste, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. According to CDPHE, in 2007 the state diverted only about 7 percent of the nearly 10 million tons of household and commercial trash generated that year. Eleven years later, those numbers have improved as 17 percent of roughly 7 million tons of waste was diverted from landfills in 2018. Yet Colorado still lags well behind the national average of 35 percent for waste diversion.
“The funds we receive through our RREO grant will help us do more to increase our community recycling rates and create environmental benefits, such as decreased pollution, increased waste diversion, and reduction in energy and water usage. We are excited to bring this valuable service back to the downtown area,” says Mayor Jonathan Godes.
“We are pleased to recognize the City of Glenwood Springs for its dedication and commitment to reducing the amount of waste sent to Colorado landfills and creating new jobs in the local economy. Through our RREO grants, we incentivize partnerships that are a win-win for Colorado’s economy and the environment and this project exemplifies that mission,” said Eric Heyboer, RREO Grant Program administrator at CDPHE.
About the RREO Grant Program
The Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Act (HB 07-1288) created the RREO Grant Program with the intent to fund implementation projects that promote economic development through the productive management of recyclable materials that would otherwise be treated as discards. For more information about RREO grants, visit www.colorado.gov/cdphe/recyclinggrantrebates.
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