Spur Change Data-Metrics

Knowing you cannot manage what you do not measure, this information is intended to provide progress towards the Routt County Climate Action Plan Waste Sector (CAP) strategies.

Waste Sector Strategies

Reduce the amount of solid waste disposed of in the landfill.
Increase waste diversion.
Support waste reduction initiatives at the State level.

The 2018 Northwest Colorado Waste Diversion Study categorized Routt County’s waste composition in the chart below. The study revealed that only 22.5% of the waste sorted represents garbage that could not be diverted.

Routt County is home to many programs that provide the opportunity to divert most of these materials from the landfill. Diversion programs include opportunities to donate used items, metals and aggregate recycling, traditional recyclables drop-off (Twin Enviro Services and WM) and curbside collection, organics drop-off and curbside collection (Cowgirl Compost CO), and drop-off of hazardous and special wastes.

For example, Yampa Valley Recycles Depot (The Recycles Depot) in Steamboat Springs is a partnership of Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, Routt County, and the City of Steamboat Springs. The Recycles Depot accepts hard-to-recycle materials such as electronics, lightbulbs, ballasts, batteries, and ink printer cartridges. For more information about The Recycles Depot check out the 2022 Annual Report.

Steamboat Springs Waste Hauler Reporting Data

The following data metrics are aggregated from waste hauler tonnage reports. The reported tonnages of waste were collected from within the City of Steamboat Springs by licensed local haulers in accordance with Ordinance 2871 of municipal code Chapter 19 Solid Waste.

For purposes of this report, carts is defined as receiving curbside cart collection services (may include single‐family homes, duplexes, and non-residential properties) and dumpsters is defined as receiving waste collection services provided via roll-offs, compactors, and dumpsters (may include multifamily residential triplexes or larger units and any non‐residential customer including but not limited to stores, hotels, markets, special events, offices, restaurants, warehouses, institutions, and community and government operations). The major categories of waste are defined as follows:

Recyclables consists of mixed paper, cardboard, plastic containers, glass containers, aluminum cans, steel/tin cans, scrap metal, aggregate, and contaminants.
Organics consists of some wood waste, food waste, and manure. Biosolids are not included in this data.
Household hazardous waste and hard to recycle materials that have been recycled appropriately are not included in this data.
Trash consists of all waste that is not diverted, even though some of this waste could potentially be diverted as recyclables, organics, household hazardous waste, or hard to recycle materials.

Waste haulers report their data quarterly. The following tables and charts illustrate:

current landfill diversion rate compared to 2030 and 2050 CAP goals. The diversion rate is calculated by dividing the total recyclables and organics tonnages by the total waste generated (trash, recyclables, and organics).
contamination rate of recyclables. The contamination rate is the weighted average of contamination as reported by all haulers. The contamination rate does not include contaminated loads of recyclables that were rejected in the field and collected as trash. This is because the contamination rate is calculated at the sorting facility. Anything that happens before the materials are sorted is not captured in this data.
waste generation by material type and container type.