HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 04/29/2025 - Memorandum from Honore Depew re April 8, 2025 Work Session Summary – Zero Waste Infrastructure and PoliciesEnvironmental Services Department
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522
CC: Rupa Venkatesh, Assistant City Manager
WORK SESSION MEMORANDUM
Date: April 22, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager
Jacob Castillo, Chief Sustainability Officer
From: Honore Depew, Sr. Manager, Environmental Sustainability
Subject: April 8, 2025 Work Session Summary – Zero Waste Infrastructure and Policies
BOTTOM LINE
The purpose of this memo is to document the summary of discussions during the April 8, 2025
Work Session. All Councilmembers were present.
DISCUSSION SUMMARY
Staff shared progress on the items within the Council Priority for Zero Waste Infrastructure and
Policies, which includes identifying pathways to compost and construction & demolition (C&D)
infrastructure, and expanding residential yard trimmings service.
Councilmembers expressed support for:
• Continue to actively explore pathways to infrastructure for C&D and organics (food scraps)
diversion from landfill
• Explore future strategies and initiatives that further Zero Waste goals (e.g. Commercial Yard
Trimmings policy)
• Continue/expand community education & outreach, including encouraging behavior change
and support for businesses and individuals in reducing plastic waste
• For the City organization leading by example, specifically for reducing or eliminating single-
use plastics
• Support local businesses working towards Zero Waste and explore public-private
partnerships for future waste diversion initiatives
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to focus on progress toward local/regional diversion infrastructure by
completing the grant-funded feasibility analysis for a local composting facility and supporting
Larimer County’s development of a C&D recycling facility. This will likely be a 3-5 year process.
Staff will conduct education & outreach (for City departments and the community) to encourage
behavior changes that support waste reduction at the source, with an emphasis on reducing
plastic waste.
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Many additional strategies (Potential Zero Waste Next Moves) have been identified to help the
community make progress on Zero Waste. Staff will assess these opportunities thoroughly to
help current and future City Councils prioritize effectively in a resource-constrained
environment.
Staff will work towards a Council Work Session later this year to share findings of the compost
facility feasibility analysis, provide further information on Zero Waste strategies (impacts,
timelines, and tradeoffs), and align work with Councilmember expectations.
FOLLOW-UP ITEMS
Staff was asked to provide further detail on several items:
Detail of 2023 Diversion Rates Data (pie charts presented on Slide 6)
• See 2023 Fort Collins Community Waste & Recycling Summary attached to this memo
for the data behind the summary charts.
• In 2023, the Fort Collins community recycled or composted 61% of the total waste
that was generated, up from 57% in 2022. Called the community diversion rate, this
community-wide indicator can vary significantly year to year based on large construction
projects and other factors.
• In 2023, the primary factors that led to a higher diversion rate were:
o Demolition of a large commercial space (which led to larger amounts of industrial
materials being recycled)
o Increased asphalt, concrete and soil recycled at the City Streets Department’s
Hoffman Mill Crushing Facility
o A new data source for commercial cardboard recycling (a methodology change
that means we are including these materials in the diversion rate for the first
time)
Detail of 2016 Waste Composition Study Data (pie charts presented on Slide 8)
• See Waste Composition and Characterization Analysis for the data behind the summary
charts found on the City’s website:
o https://www.fcgov.com/recycling/pdf/2016_Landfill__Waste_Composition_Report
_28Fort_Collins29.pdf?1555024955
Further Explanation of Residential Yard Trimming Collection Participation Rates
• Approximately 56% of households that are enrolled in the City's program have
yard trimmings collection. As of September 30th, 2024, haulers providing service
outside of the City program (such as those serving exempt HOAs and households that
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chose to opt-out of the City program) were required per City ordinance to offer yard
trimmings to residential customers on an opt-out basis. Residents have the choice to
decline the service if they do not want it.
• Based on staff review of haulers' contracts with HOAs that applied for and received
exemptions from the City program, haulers are providing this service to HOAs.
• Staff collect data on the number of households enrolled in yard trimmings collection and
will be able to report near the end of 2025 on the number of households in exempt HOAs
that are enrolled in yard trimmings service since this rule went into effect
Styrofoam Ban (Plastics Pollution Reduction Act) – Compliance and Monitoring
• City Council’s most recent update to the Disposable Bag Ordinance (February 2025),
aligning code to be consistent with the State’s Plastics Pollution Reduction Act,
authorized the City to start enforcing the ban of expanded polystyrene (i.e.,
Styrofoam) at restaurants, effective July 2025. Staff from Environmental Services and
Economic Health are working to develop effective methods to engage and educate
businesses on the upcoming changes and requirements.
• Many businesses have successfully made the transition from the use of expanded
polystyrene. Current communications to businesses occur when complaints are
received. When the City receives a complaint, staff send an educational letter and
connect restaurants to resources like the 2050 Tax-funded NocoBiz Connect for
transition of takeout materials.
• To date, the City has followed up on five complaints and proactive communication
through various methods will rollout to support businesses over the coming months.
• Staff continues to monitor the growing list of new businesses in partnership with Sales
Tax to ensure they are also informed.
Community Recycling Ordinance – Enforcement, Tracking, and Reporting
• In October 2021 staff completed a “sweep” of the community, with the assistance of
Code Compliance. The sweep identified approximately 200 non-compliant businesses
and multi-family housing developments, all of which were brought into compliance. This
process included 212 variance applications, 125 were approved.
• Currently, enforcement is complaint-based when recycling is not offered. The City has
plans to conduct a sweep every 5 years, per City Code, and staff are reviewing timing
and capacity to complete a full compliance sweep in 2026.
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2023 Fort Collins Community Waste & Recycling Summary
Recyclables Organics Non-Industrial Totals
(MSW)Residential Commercial Overall
Lbs /
Capita /
Day
Residential Curbside Recycling Tons Residential / Commercial Organics Tons Total Landfill 59,314 49,565 108,878 3.42
Single-stream 8,185 Residential food scraps 292 Total Organics Composted 5,815 5,997 11,812 0.37
Curbside Total: 8,185 Commercial food scraps 1,691 Total Recycling 9,866 27,507 37,373 1.17
Multifamily & Commercial Recycling Residential yard trimmings 5,523 PAYT Source Reduction "tons" 4,500 n/a 4,500 0.14
Commercial single-stream 5,793 Commercial yard trimmings 4,307 Total Disposed 79,495 83,069 162,563 5.11
Multi-family single-stream 1,069 Total MSW Organics 11,812 Diversion Rate 20.9% 40.3%31.1%
Mixed Paper 26 Industrial Organics Diversion Rate w/ Source Reduction 25.4% n/a 33.0%
Office paper 12 Spent brewery grain 346
Corrugated Cardboard 18,836 Wood scrap 5,953 Industrial Totals Tons Lbs/Cap/Day
Glass 1,084 Municipal and other organics 2,390 Total Landfill 41,674 1.31
Commingled containers (aluminum, steel, glass, plastic)20 Biosolids 2,198 Total ADC 0 0.00
Multi-Family & Commercial Total: 26,840 Total Industrial Organics 10,887 Total Organics Composted 10,887 0.34
Drop-off Centers TOTAL ORGANICS TONS 22,699 Total Recycling 173,928 5.46
Corrugated cardboard 783 Total Disposed 226,488 7.11
Paperboard, low-grade paper 0 Landfill Diversion Rate 81.6%
Mixed Paper 324 Tons of Solid Waste Landfilled Tons Diversion Rate, ADC as diversion 81.6%
Commingled containers 132 Residential 59,314
Glass 276 Multi-family 6,214 Combined Totals MSW Industrial Overall Day
White Office Paper 26 Commercial 43,350 Total Landfill 108,878 41,674 150,552 4.73
Hard-to-recycle items from Timberline Recycling Center 140 Industrial 41,674 Total ADC n/a 0 0 0.00
Drop-off System Total: 1,681
Alternative Daily Cover (soils used to meet
landfill cover needs)0 Total Organics Composted 11,812 10,887 22,699 0.71
Other Recyclables TOTAL LANDFILL TONS 150,552 Total Recycling 37,373 173,928 211,300 6.64
Electronics 101 PAYT Source Reduction 4,500 n/a 4,500 0.14
Plastic bags / shrink wrap 566 Recycling Participation Total Disposed 162,563 226,488 389,051 12.22
Textiles 0 Customer Type % of Customer
w Recycling Diversion Rate, no Source Reduction 31.1% 81.6%60.8%
Total Other: 667 Residential 94%Diversion Rate with PAYT Source Reduction 33.0%61.3%
TOTAL MSW RECYCLING TONS 37,373 Residential yard trimmings collection 17%
Diversion Rate with PAYT Source Reduction,
ADC as diversion 61.3%
Industrial Recyclables Residential food scraps collection 3%
Scrap metal 8,408 Multi-family 88%
Concrete 51,756 Commercial 66%
Asphalt 90,115 Industrial 6%
Soil and other aggregate 23,649 Total customers with recycling 86%14.85%
Total Industrial Recycling Tons 173,928
TOTAL RECYCLING TONS 211,300
Single stream recycling totals reduced to account for contamination
(and trash totals increased commensurately).
This year's contamination rate:
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