The City of Boulder has released its waste diversion numbers for 2019. The community recycled and composted 50 percent of its waste last year, which means that the waste was not sent to a landfill.
“It is extremely promising to see such strides made in waste going to compost and recycling facilities instead of the landfill in this sector because curbside collection is much more representative of the daily consumption and disposal behaviors of our community,” said Lauren Tremblay, analyst for Boulder Sustainability.
In 2015, the city adopted a Universal Zero Waste Ordinance to create a convenient, easy-to-understand recycling and composting system with access at home, at work, at school or visiting Boulder. According to the Ordinance, Boulder’s goal is to divert 85 percent of its waste from landfills by 2025 and to achieve the goal, it must divert 35 percent more waste annually within the next five years.