The Pitkin County SWC (the landfill) has achieved Gold Level status in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s “Environmental Leadership Program.” With this achievement the landfill joins such company as the Aspen Skiing Company, East/West Resorts, the city of Aspen, Blue Star Recyclers, Ball Metal, and the cities of Fort Collins and Denver. It was just last year the landfill achieved Silver Level.
The Environmental Leadership Program is designed to reward businesses, municipalities and other entities for significant, proven reductions in impacts on the environment related to the operation of their enterprise. It is a rigorous, metric driven program and requires much on site analysis, reporting and oversight by independent auditors.
Jed Miller, Recycling Foreman, who led the effort to document the achievements said, “This was a long time coming but worth all the effort. It’s very exciting and I’m glad all the hard work our team pulls off every day is being rewarded and recognized.”
To achieve Gold Level status the landfill had to create and document several programs—moving the Household Hazardous Waste collection site onto a concrete pad and indoors, the first of its kind interactive mobile app technology for Colorado schoolchildren to teach them about composting—“Wooly: Composting Explained.” The app is available for download for iPhone and Android users and may be previewed at http://mydigitalpublication.com/publication?i=228932
The landfill was also recognized for improvements to our composting operation to make it more responsive to consumer demand and for the SCRAPS expansion which is a partnership between Evergreen Events and the City of Aspen to increase food waste diversions from the landfill, and features such partners as the St. Regis, Woody Creek Community Center and Woody Creek Distillers.
To learn more about the Environmental Leadership Program, please visit the website at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/environmental-leadership-program.