Recycling and Composting Resources Provided by Boulder, Colorado‏

In a world of worry about the planet and fears of global warming, many people want to do their part to save the world. Even if it's just a small thing, people want to feel they are making a difference. For residents of Boulder, Colorado, two of the resources provided in their community are recycling and composting services.

Boulder, Colorado provides a curbside recycling service for its residents. Starting in January 2009, all recyclables can be put into one cart, and recycling is picked-up every other week. There are also other resources provided by the community that allow residents to recycle materials that might otherwise end up in the trash and eventually in landfills. There is a Boulder County Recycling Drop-off Center where residents can take recyclable items. This is where your typical glass, metal, paper, and plastic go to be recycled.

Yet, the city of Boulder has other recycling resources. There is a Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials or CHaRM. There are many different items that CHaRM will recycle. Bike tires and tubes can be taken to CHaRM for recycling. When the rims are taken off the bikes, the bikes can even be recycled for scrap metal. Televisions, computers, books, telephones, toilets, and many other materials can also be recycled through the resources CHaRM provides for the community. One thing for people to know who do decide to use the resources provided by CHaRM is that they will be charged a processing fee for some of the materials they bring in for recycling. F or example, a cell phone is processed for free, but a home phone will cost the person $2 to have it recycled through the CHaRM program. The cost is because the electronic products have to be taken apart before they can be recycled. This is a labor-intensive process, and the people often have to handle hazardous materials. Still, the payment is worth the cost when you consider the resources you are saving.

Boulder, Colorado also provides its residents with a curbside compost program. Starting in January 2009, the compost pick-up will take place every other week, alternating with the recycling pick-up. Included in the base rate for trash is up to 32 gallons of compost for every pick-up. Items that can take advantage of this resource include yard waste, compostable paper like napkins or paper towels, plant-based food waste like peelings from fruits or vegetables, and compostable products made from plants starches including take-out containers. Boulder, Colorado also provides a free Christmas tree drop-off program. This runs from December 26 to January 31. All they ask of the people using the program is that the person removes all decorations from the trees. This includes tinsel, ornaments, and lights. Of course, this only includes real trees.

The use of the recycling program and the compost program allows Boulder, Colorado residents to cut down on what actually goes in the trash. This is a wonderful help to the environment and to the natural resources of the world. Even if it's just a few items every two weeks, the items add up and help to keep this world livable for future generations.

Samson Paulotti shares information with homeowners. Check out:
http://www.therestorationresource.com/TheRestorationResourceColoradoCityIndex.html