Contact: Liz Chapman, Senior Waste Reduction & Environmental Health Specialist, Liz.Chapman@CityOfAspen.com, 970.319.6890
Aspen, Colorado – March 4, 2021 – The City of Aspen’s Environmental Health and Sustainability department is working with EverGreen ZeroWaste to provide compostable takeout food container collection at the Rio Grande Recycling Center.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants have seen an increase in patrons requesting takeout, and many restaurants use compostable takeout containers for this service. In response to the increased usage of compostable takeout containers and to reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill, the City of Aspen set up a green, metal, bear-proof tote at the Rio Grande Recycling Center for residents to deposit their compostable takeout containers.
“As part of our ongoing effort to reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions, we are providing a place for people to place compostable takeout containers,” says Liz Chapman, Senior Waste Reduction and Environmental Health Specialist with the City of Aspen. “We recognize that many people and businesses want to compost their used compostable materials, so we are providing a convenient option for restaurant patrons after they finish eating their to-go orders.”
The collection site is open seven days per week and will be available through the winter months. The site is not intended to collect food waste or replace home composting services. Only materials that are made from plants, not metal or plastic, can be composted. For more information, visit AspenRecycles.com.
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