Q: Are group tours of the facility available?
Answer: Not at this time, but soon! We would love to welcome your group/organization to the site for a full tour of the facility; however, we are not able to accommodate tours currently. Please check back later in the year for an update. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Q: Where can I drop off my glass for recycling in Colorado?
Answer: Colorado residents can place glass in their curbside mixed recycling bin at home. If you have a lot of glass, you can drop it off (for FREE!) at our conveniently-located Broomfield, CO location.
Q: Should I rinse out my recyclables or remove labels?
Answer: Although it may be beneficial for your home or office to avoid the smells that sometimes accompany food-related recyclables, it is not necessary to spend time washing your recyclables. By not washing empty containers, we can all preserve one of the most precious natural resources: water.
Q: Where does the glass go once it is processed?
Answer: Once the glass is recycled at the facility into what is known as “cullet,” it then is sent to various locations to be used for such applications as bottle manufacturing, fiberglass insulation, sandblasting, asphalt engineering and other glass-related products.
Q: Besides recycling, what other things can I do to become more sustainable?
Answer: The popular phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a handy way to remember how we can all play a part in becoming more sustainable. First, reduce what you use. After all, if you don’t use or purchase something, there is no need to deal with the waste. Second, reusing materials or products is a great way to reduce what winds up in our landfills. Instead of purchasing cheap, one-time use items, buy a more durable good from a local vendor. Disposable products, although convenient, make up a large portion of our household waste. Additionally, you could look into at-home composting of food scraps; installing energy-efficient lighting; xeriescaping parts of your lawn; starting a garden to grow your own food; riding your bike on short trips or switching to an electric vehicle; etc. There is lots you can do!
Q: I’ve heard that recycling is just as bad or worse for the planet than simply throwing stuff away once you consider fuel consumption and energy needed to process the materials. Is this true?
Answer: Absolutely not. The population of the earth continues to multiply and resources are becoming strained to support that growing populace. Recycling is a way to avoid having to mine/harvest/drill for virgin resources, and the energy that goes into the processing of the recyclables is but a fraction of the energy needed to find, extract, and process raw materials for the same purpose. As far as fuel consumption goes, many of our vehicles run on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), which is much cleaner to burn than diesel, and we take our carbon footprint very seriously. Hauling vehicles are a necessary evil in the world of waste, but we try to keep our routing as efficient as possible.