Departmental Climate Initiatives

Waste Diversion Programs

Pitkin County is the owner and operator of the Solid Waste Center, a facility that provides comprehensive materials management services including a landfill, composting operation, material reuse center and a wide variety of waste diversion programs. Carbon emissions from waste represent about 10% of total community-wide emissions, and diverting waste from the landfill through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling can avoid these emissions in the first place. 

Visit the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center website for more information about their programming.

County Facilities Electrification

Following the creation of a facilities electrification plan, the County is currently underway with designing upgraded heating and cooling systems for the Pitkin County Library and Schulz Health & Human Services buildings that will result in a 90%+ reduction in operational carbon emissions. The projects are supported by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Climate Resilience Challenge grant program.

Low-Emissions Fleet

Pitkin County owns a wide array of approximately 350 fleet vehicles and specialty equipment ranging from small commuter vehicles to industrial-scale heavy equipment. The County began purchasing electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid vehicles, as well as installing charging infrastructure, in 2015. In 2025, EV and hybrid vehicles comprise 7% of the total fleet. The 2025 Climate Action Plan lists strategies to support low-emissions fleet adoption for the next five years.