Curbside Recycling Indefinitely, Inc.

Summer, 2009

City Awarded Grant for Recycling Program

In May the City was awarded a $300,000.00 grant from the State of Colorado’s recycling fund for improvements to the West Avenue recycling facility.

The money will be used to make a long overdue purchase of a high capacity baler and conveyor. The equipment will be housed in a separate storage ring. The ring will be covered by a roof, enabling GJ CRI employees to work out of the elements and store more material safe from damaging sun, wind, and water.

Residential curbside participation has been increasing steadily since early 2008. Between 35-50 new households are signing up each month. Improvements to the facility will increase processing ability and storage capacity from a current 3.5 million pounds per year to a projected 9 million pounds annually over the next few years.

The added capacity will help position GJ CRI to keep up with the expanding residential routes, as well as the demands being placed on us by the increased number of drop-off users and other local entities such as schools, businesses, and the City. Construction should be completed in the fall.

In the meantime, the government’s stimulus program seems to be reaching the recycling industry. Commodity prices are on the rebound and markets are regaining strength. This rebound will insure that all of your materials continue to be recycled.

No Glossy Cardboard at the Curb

Sorry…We are not picking up glossy corrugated cardboard or single layer paperboard at the curb!

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As you may have heard, we are now accepting, on a trial basis, single layer paperboard (which may happen to be glossy) in a separate container at the West Avenue Drop Off. This includes material like flattened cereal and cracker boxes (remove liner bags), paper egg cartons, 6 -and some 12 pack.

12-pack beer and soda cartons (non-corrugated), and toilet tissue /paper towel rolls or tubes. This does not include any waxy paperboard (e.g. laundry or automatic dish detergent boxes or milk /orange juice cartons) and does not include glossy corrugated cardboard. If we end up with too much non-recyclable product or the processor decides to no longer accept it, we will have to discontinue collection.

Help us keep up this collection effort by confirming with the attendant at the drop off that material you are bringing in is indeed single layer, non-waxed paperboard and not glossy corrugated cardboard, which we absolutely cannot accept. And please, do not set paperboard out for curbside pick up.

We are always working toward improving recycling for you.

THANK YOU!

Recycling Containers Appear At Events

The City of Grand Junction’s CORE (Conserving Our Resources Efficiently) employee committee has started to put out gray, bottle shaped, recycling containers at local events, like JUCO, and at Canyon View Park. They are to collect plastic bottles and aluminum cans only. You may see them this summer at the Downtown Farmer’s Market and other City-sponsored events.

This is a trial period for recycling containers in public areas. Please follow the same guidelines you do at home: Read the signs, remove and discard lids, empty bottles of all fluids, and keep trash and food out of the recycling containers.

Thanks for helping make public recycling a reality in Grand Junction!

An International Call for ACTION……

Federal Government: “Our environment is literally choking on plastic bags.” Those were the words of Congressman Jim Moran, (D) N. VA. on April 22nd when he introduced the Plastic Bag Reduction Act of 2009. The bill is the latest attempt to pass national legislation encouraging consumers to drastically reduce the use of plastic bags and switch to reusable bags when shopping. “Whole swaths of our oceans, in some places up to 580 square miles….have become floating landfills….as these plastics break down, toxic chemicals are being released into the environment. Ingested marine debris, particularly plastic bags, are killing thousands of birds, turtles, marine mammals, fish, and squid each day.”

The Bill, now in committee, would place a 5 cent fee on single use bags from grocery stores and other retail outlets. In 2015 the tax would increase to 25 cents.

U.N. Chief calls for international ban: With the release of an alarming report by the UN Environment Programme, Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP, has called for a world-wide ban on single use plastic bags, stating that “There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere.”

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Did you know that what we do in Colorado can effect our oceans? Absolutely! Airborne plastic bags can be carried hundreds of miles. So, how can you do your part to this stop this growing global catastrophe? It is simple…

Going Shopping? Don’t forget your reusable bags!

“Paper or Plastic?” Some merchants don’t even ask. It is just assumed you want to take home 10 plastic bags with just a couple of items in each bag. Say “Neither, thanks. I brought my own.” Be the environmentally hip individual that realizes this is an international litter and solid waste nightmare! Be the thrifty shopper that gets a discount for each of your own bags you reuse at local grocery stores. Reusable bags can be purchased in most stores. Always keep some bags in the trunk for those spur-of-the-moment shopping excursions, even to clothing or specialty stores - and make a habit of not accepting a new bag when unnecessary.

Many other countries have banned the use of plastic bags and some are charging up to 50 cents/bag. Progressive cities in the U.S. are looking to do the same. So get in the habit now and you will be ahead in the high stakes game of saving resources and reducing waste!

Tidbit: Be sure to launder your reusable bags regularly to prevent a buildup of bacteria, mold, and unhealthy grunge!

Notes and Reminders