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Colorado ranks low among other states when it comes to recycling
(Apr. 27) – A bipartisan bill sponsored by Rep. Dominique Jackson, and Rep. Lisa Cutter, that aimed at improving recycling and will administer a fee-based waste diversion grant program received preliminary approval today in the House. Waste management and reduction are critical tools that will help protect Colorado’s resources and natural beauty and help address climate change.
“Only about 12 percent of people in Colorado recycle. That is well below the national average of 34 percent,” said Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora. “This bill attempts to create a dedicated funding source to encourage people to recycle by empowering local communities in their recycling efforts.”
SB19-192 creates the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise in the Department of Public Health and Environment to help facilitate the increase in recycling rates in the Front Range by providing financial and technical assistance to local communities to implement specific waste reduction and waste diversion strategies and practices. The enterprise will collect a user fee on each load of waste disposed of at a landfill in the front range and credit it to the new front range waste diversion cash fund to finance the front range waste diversion grant program.
“I was born and raised here in Colorado. We’re not being good stewards of our environment. This is not acceptable,” said Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Evergreen. “We are near the bottom nationally in recycling efforts and this bill is one part of the solution. These efforts will have tremendous a impact on climate change goals.”
According to a recent report, Colorado ranks low among other states when it comes to recycling.
The Front Range is defined as the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, Teller, and Weld and the cities and counties of Broomfield and Denver.
SB19-192 passed on a voice-vote. A final vote will be taken at a later date.