Special Update: How Coronavirus Precautions are Affecting Our Work

Eco-Cycle offices are closed, but our hotline is open.

Staff will continue working remotely. Our hotline remains open Monday-Friday from 9am – 5pm. If you have Zero Waste questions, call 303.444.6634 or email recycle@ecocycle.org.

Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) is open to the public beginning Tuesday, April 28th.

Please Observe New Covid-19 Protocols: Given the high degree of customer/staff interaction at the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), the facility has been closed in compliance with the City of Boulder’s local emergency declaration and efforts to avoid the spread of COVID-19. However, the CHaRM is now reopening with strict new protocols to serve the community while limiting exposure between and among customers and staff. 

NEW COVID PROTOCOLS:

All visitors to the CHaRM will be required to:

• Wear a mask or face covering at all times (our staff will do the same)

• Pay with credit card ONLY with a self-pay system  (NO cash or checks will be accepted)

• Observe 6-foot distancing areas marked off around drop-off bins

• Stay in your car to wait your turn until customers in front of you have cleared the area around a drop-off bin you wish to use

• Unload your own vehicles (please bring help if needed, as our staff has been directed to maintain a 6-foot distance)

• For electronics recycling, we require electronics to be in the very back of your vehicle (trunk or truck bed) so they can be easily accessed by our staff while maintaining a safe distance. Vehicles not adhering to this requirement will be asked to exit the CHaRM yard, relocate their electronics, and come through the line again

• Please read signs guiding you through our new transaction processes

We look forward to seeing you and serving your hard-to-recycle needs! Please visit www.ecocycle.org/charm for a full list of materials accepted, as well as prices. Please email recycle@ecocycle.org or call 303-444-6634 with questions.

Thank you for recycling and for your support of Eco-Cycle during this challenging time. Please be well!

NOTE: The Resource Central Yard, adjacent to the Eco-Cycle CHaRM, is run by Resource Central and will be observing a different schedule and timeline. Please visit resourcecentral.org for updates. 

The Boulder County Recycling Center (BCRC), operated by Eco-Cycle, is open for recycling processing and single-stream recycling drop-off.

As an “essential operation,” the Boulder County Recycling Center, where single-stream materials from all of Boulder County’s curbside recycle bins are processed, remains operational for now. However, tours of the facility are not permitted at this time. Keeping operations going is subject to change if new direction is received from the county, state or federal levels. 

Please continue to collect recyclables for curbside collection according to your hauler’s schedule, and stay tuned for any necessary changes that may be forthcoming.

Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF): Closed until further notice.

Read more on the HMMF website.

Curbside Composting and Composting Drop-off 

As of 4/3/2020: Western Disposal residential curbside compost pick-up, compostables drop-off, and yard waste operations have not been affected. Visit Western Disposal’s website for more information.

Customers of Eco-Cycle’s Commercial Hauling

Eco-Cycle’s hauling of commercial recycling, compost and hard-to-recycle materials is currently in operation, with no disruptions to scheduling at this time. If you are a new client or existing customer and would like to discuss recycling or compost pick-up for your business, please contact Nick Miranda, Sales Coordinator, at nick@ecocycle.org

Campaign Updates: Colorado Zero Waste Legislation is on hold

Members of the Colorado State House and Senate voted to suspend activities in the current legislative session due to public health concerns.

Due to this closure, the four bills that Eco-Cycle is supporting are on hold, including two bills to reduce plastic waste (House Bills 1162 and 1163), a bill to promote compost statewide (House Bill 1047), and a bill to develop recycling end markets in Colorado (Senate Bill 55). Learn more about these bills and their current status here.

Denver Public Action Meeting on April 29th Postponed

Due to COVID-19, we will be postponing the Public Action scheduled for April 29th until further notice. Please stay connected! We plan to continue the campaign and will keep you updated. If you are interested in helping to plan the action, there are ways you can get involved. You can join a subcommittee here. Subcommittees will be meeting virtually until further notice. Our next Eco-Leader meeting will also be virtual and will take place in mid April. If you have any questions, please reach out to jasmin@ecocycle.org

Green Star Schools Program

Eco-Cycle’s award-winning Green Star Schools Program provides Zero Waste education and infrastructure for public schools in Boulder and Broomfield Counties, helping schools recycle and compost up to 67% of their waste – almost double the national rate of just 35%.

Currently, schools in Colorado are closed until at least April 17th. During this time away from school, Eco-Cycle environmental educators are exploring methods to continue to provide science-based, environmental education programs to teachers and students in the event that schools adopt online instruction.

Information about curbside composting in light of the coronavirus pandemic

We’ve received questions about composting tissues and paper towels that potentially could be infected with coronavirus after being used to blow noses or clean surfaces. Here’s some advice on what to do with commonly-compostable items during this time:

• Tissues used to blow noses: According to the CDC, coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread from person-to-person through respiratory droplets. If you are sick with the flu, virus or a cold, or have symptoms, please do not compost tissues that were used to blow your nose, cover a cough or sneeze, or for a bloody nose; instead, put them into the trash.This is always good practice.  For other uses, you can continue composting tissue.

• Paper towels used to clean surfaces: It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. Wiping down surfaces with cleansers and disinfectants can reduce this risk.If you are sick with the flu, virus or cold, and are using paper towels to wipe down surfaces, discard them in the trash. For other uses, you can continue composting paper towels.

• Food scraps: Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. There is likely very low risk of spread from food products shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated, or frozen temperatures. At this time, keep composting your food scraps!

On Using Reusable Products During the Pandemic

Read our response: Eco-Cycle response to safety concerns about reusable bags, cups and other products during the COVID-19 crisis

We’re Here for You!

If you have questions about Eco-Cycle, the Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM), Eco-Cycle Commercial Hauling, any of our community programs, or general questions about recycling and composting, contact us at 303.444.6634 or email recycle@ecocycle.org.

Last updated May 12, 2020