This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
PLASTIC FREE JULY is a global movement to reduce the amount of plastic we consume. Choose to refuse single use plastics! Check out this website for lots of great ideas and support. Create some new habits and make a massive difference in cleaning up our world!
In some good news, more and more major companies are committed to using 100% recycled plastics in their packaging.
DID YOU KNOW? The Saint Vrain River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Our trash impacts other communities, the ocean, and all the wildlife along the way. In 2018, Longmont only diverted 36% of our waste to recycling and composting (Loveland diverted 60%)...that means the rest of what we dispose of goes into the landfill - which was 30,000 tons in 2018! If you don't already compost your food scraps and yard waste, start today with the city's Curbside Composting. The City of Longmont has developed a Waste Wizard where you can type in the item you want to dispose of and it will tell you where it belongs. And Waste Services is supporting the St Vrain Valley School District to divert more of its trash away from the landfill and into recycling and composting, including installing recycling bins at the Longmont High School football field. Let's participate in our city's efforts to get our trash where it can do the least harm.
AND AT THE STATE LEVEL, Colorado just passed a bipartisan bill called the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Grant Program, which will increase waste diversion efforts on the Front Range. Residents of Longmont will benefit from this program, but our user fees will not increase.
Please help support one of SRL's main goals: ZERO WASTE. As individuals, organizations, and communities, we can make a difference in preserving the health and beauty of our world.
