COMMITTEE APPROVES PROPOSAL TO STUDY ORGANIC WASTE AND INCENTIVIZE COMPOSTING

DENVER, CO — Reps. Lisa Cutter and Meg Froelich’s bipartisan bill, HB20-1047, today was approved by the House Energy and Environment Committee. The bill was approved by the bipartisan Zero Waste and Recycling Interim Study Committee in October and would call for the creation of a statewide organics management plan. The bill passed committee 7-2 and now moves onto the Appropriations Committee.

“Composting is a win-win-win — it prevents landfill overuse, improves soil health, and boosts the carbon storage ability of our agricultural lands,” said Rep Cutter (D-Jefferson County). “Caring for our environment and protecting the Colorado Way of Life require us to take a serious look at waste and how it is disposed of. The study put forth by this bill would give our state the crucial information we need to get even closer to our zero waste goal.”

“Increasing compost use in agriculture and other sectors is a wonderful way to pull carbon from the atmosphere using natural processes,” said Rep. Froelich (D-Englewood). “This bipartisan bill, which is the result of months of work and stakeholding in the Zero Waste Interim Committee, will give us the information we need to continue our multifaceted approach to tackling climate change. I’m proud to see it move forward today and will continue to work to see it enacted.”

As mentioned, HB20-1047 would establish a statewide organics management plan to study the way Colorado disposes of organic waste and encourage the use of composting as a means of carbon storage. In addition to the environmental benefits, compost use could help agriculture producers improve soil health, leading to enhanced crop value and production.

If this bill is enacted, the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) would consult with a diverse set of stakeholders and submit their management plan by February 1, 2023 to the House Energy and Environment Committee, House Rural Affairs and Agriculture Committee, Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee.