(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The City of Colorado Springs said it has completed a plan informed by the community in an effort to reduce waste, expand recycling, and build a more sustainable community.
The WastelessCOS Waste Diversion Study and Action Plan is a data-driven look at how materials are managed across homes, businesses, and City operations, according to the City. The study will help inform strategies that support those living in the area while protecting resources for future generations.
The plan establishes a long-term goal of increasing Colorado Springs’ community-wide waste diversion rate to 37% by 2045, with targeted benchmarks for single-family, multi-family, and commercial sectors. The City said the focus of the study is on potential actions that improve access to recycling and composting, reduce contamination, and make waste reduction easier and more effective across the city.
The plan organizes recommended actions into five core strategy areas: leveraging Colorado’s Extended Producer Responsibility program, education and outreach, organics management, governance and data tracking, and construction and specialty waste diversion. The strategies are intended to strengthen recycling and reuse systems, support economic activity in the materials management sector, and provide the City with tools to track progress and report results over time…