Recycling Drop-Off set for Oct. 27

OCTOBER 8, 2018 BY YAMPA VALLEY SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL

Article adapted from Steamboat Pilot & Today

With snow in the forecast, it’s time to clear out the growing piles of stuff in your garage, make room for winter gear and take action to protect the environment. Yampa Valley Sustainability Council’s fall Recycling Drop-Off is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 27  in the Meadows and Upper Knoll parking lots. This is your chance to conveniently recycle everything from electronics to household hazardous waste at one event.

At last spring’s drop-off, YVSC tested a new format that significantly decreased wait times, and we have more improvements in store for the fall event. All you have to do is show up, and we’ll do the rest. Volunteers will be ready to help unload your car, so make sure to pack accordingly.

Electronics will be collected in the Meadows Lot, and all other items will be collected in the Upper Knoll Lot, including paint, household hazardous waste, yard waste, mattresses, batteries, light bulbs, skis, books, appliances with and without Freon, clothing, shoes and more. Signs around both lots will direct recyclers where they need to go, but participants are highly-encouraged to visit yvsc.org/recyclingdropoff for complete event details including a full list of items collected, fees, payment methods and maps.

In the city of Steamboat Springs 2017 community survey, 91 percent of respondents identified the quality of the natural environment as either essential or most important to them, ranking higher than any other aspect. The Recycling Drop-Off is an easy opportunity to do your part to protect the natural environment we all love in the Yampa Valley.

Televisions, computers and most other electronics contain a host of toxic substances like lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. These toxic substances can contaminate groundwater if landfilled. It is also required by law in Colorado to recycle electronics, paint and tires due to the detrimental effects they can have on the environment. Recycling also reduces the amount of new materials extracted, and, alternatively, the metals and plastics are recycled to make new products. If managed properly, the simple action of recycling can significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

If you’re going to be out of town for the fall Recycling Drop-Off, don’t worry. Visit yvsc.org/a-zrecycleguide for a comprehensive guide for hard-to-recycle items in Routt County. YVSC is committed to making the responsible choice easy, so all recyclers listed are either certified e-stewards or are confirmed to be recycling responsibly.

If you want to learn more about how recycling can decrease climate pollution and benefit the environment, don’t miss an opportunity at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Library to hear from national and international Zero Waste leader Kate Bailey from Eco-Cycle in Boulder. Bailey has traveled and consulted extensively around the globe — from Brazil to Chafee County — and is an expert in making recycling work in rural communities. She’ll be answering common questions about recycling and addressing how Routt County can reduce its impact on the climate through more recycling and composting.

Cameron Hawkins is the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council waste diversion director.