JANUARY 6, 2014 BY 

If you haven’t heard, Waste Management began charging non-customers for recycling drop off at the Downhill Drive location, effective today (January 6, 2014). We realize this impacts our recycling efforts, including the Green Machine, and are currently working with both City and County, as well as haulers, on finding reliable long-term solutions for the public’s recycling.

Currently, Yampa Valley Recycles, a program of YVSC, in partnership with Routt County and Waste Management provides the Green Machines at Safeway on weekends for recycling. This service is open to residents and is currently free, and greatly subsidized by Waste Management.  If you bring recycling to the Green Machines, please be respectful of this service and do not leave containers of recycling, if the units are full, and waste left next to the units is considered littering and is jeopardizing the future of this drop off location.
If you do not currently have recycling as part of your trash service, you might also want to call your hauler to find out about adding it, it is free to in-city residents who already have trash pickup.
There is a misconception that Waste Management, Aces High, and Old West Sanitation are profiting from recycling.  Unfortunately, because of our remote location and current transportation cost, recycling traditional recyclables (“single-stream”) is provided at a loss to the companies that provide it.  In our beautiful valley, we all believe in preserving natural resources and reducing valuable materials going into the landfill.  It will require all of us to do our part, financially and responsibly, to help keep recycling as a service locally.
The fee is for non WM customers, and is $5 per 65 gallons [corrected, 96 glns] of recycling.  If you have questions regarding this new change, please contact Steamboat Waste Management at 970.879.2428.
Again, we are currently looking at many different options for the long-term solution to recycling in our community, and will continue to keep you posted on further changes.

 

Additional links with more information:
1/9/2014 Steamboat Today/Tom Ross: Recycling Fee Puts Pressure on Green Machines

1/12/2014 Steamboat Today Editorial Board: Our View: The True Cost of Recycling