BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado lawmakers last week approved a program that aims to expand recycling across the entire state and will be funded by large packaging producers.
State Senator Lisa Cutter, D – Jefferson County, has been waiting for that decision.
“I’ve been pinching myself. We’ve just been waiting for so long for this final approval and crossing our fingers,” Cutter said Monday. “There’s been many advocates working on this issue for a long time, and I was really, really passionate about getting to zero waste in Colorado.”
In 2022, Cutter was one of the prime sponsors of House Bill 22-1355, which created a Producer Responsibility Program under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Since the passage of that legislation, the Circular Action Alliance was tasked with studying the recycling infrastructure, services, and costs before presenting an implementation plan before the Joint Budget Committee.
Large companies that sell packaging and paper products are involved in coordinating, funding and managing the statewide recycling system.