Recycling Basics
Can plastic bags be recycled curbside?
No, but they can be recycled as plastic film at a drop-off facility such as the Timberline Recycling Center.
What is one disposable item that you currently use that you could replace with a re-usable item?
Answers may vary
What is Pay As You Throw?
A volume-based pricing structure for trash - the less you throw away, the less you pay!
What little dirt-dwelling creatures are sometimes used in a form of composting called vermiculture?
How many times can a glass can or bottle be recycled?
Basically forever!
What type of plastic is banned in the state of Colorado for use at restaurants?
Styrofoam™ aka Expanded Polystyrene
What can be put in the yard trimmings cart from April - November?
Garden materials but not items from the kitchen – leaves, grass clippings, brush and small limbs up to 3” diameter
What is the resource where you can find where to take just about anything?
A-Z list
The TRC or another drop-off facility!
What is it called when plastic pollution breaks down into small (sometimes microscopic) pieces, continuously over time in places like the landfill or bodies of water?
Microplastics
What is a contracted trash program? (Bonus points if you can name a benefit of a program like this!)
When a City contracts with a hauler to provide collection services as outlined in service contracts.
Some benefits examples include consistent, predictable pricing, lower prices, and less trash trucks on residential streets.
Approximately what percentage of Larimer County's landfilled waste is organic? (yard waste, food waste, wood, etc.)
40-45%
What is a good rule for what plastic materials are recyclable in curbside recycling collection?
Bottles, jugs, and tubs
Where are plastic bags banned in Colorado?
Any "store" (retailers, grocers, other businesses) that isn't considered "small" (3 or fewer locations only in CO).
Restaurants, caterers and bars are exempt.
What is an oops tag?
A tag left on a recycling cart when there are contaminants preventing the hauler from collecting materials. The oops tag will ask that you remove the contaminants to keep the recycling stream clean!
What is a circular economy? (Bonus points if you can give an example!)
An economy that does not follow the typical, linear path of take-make-waste, and instead keeps materials in use and reduces waste. Examples may vary.
What percentage of recycling was contaminated in Fort Collins in 2024?
16%
What is the Colorado state law that seeks to reduce plastic waste and pollution?
The Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (PPRA)
~4,000 tons of yard trimmings were collected and diverted from the landfill in Fort Collins in 2023 (pre-contracting program).
Approximately how many tons were diverted in 2025 (within contracting program)?
~8,000 tons
What does the new state law "Extended Producer Responsibility" do?
Require producers to pay for recycling collection, processing and education of the packaging they produce.