Clean Valley Recycling

Clean Valley Recycling’s dream is to provide recycling options and community education in all 6 counties of Southeast Colorado.Clean Valley Recycling relies heavily on volunteers for operating the organization. Volunteers are responsible for sorting, pickup, and community outreach. Because of volunteer dedication CVR has been able to expand from its Swink Hub Location to include 6 more convenient Drop-Off Locations across the Valley.

METAL

Metals (free drop off at our Swink Location): Aluminum, Steel, Tin Cans, and Washers & Dryers (no Freon).Aluminum cans are the worlds premiere example of a recyclable waste. Recycling aluminum requires less than 5% percent of the energy required to make it from bauxite ore.

Cardboard

Cardboard is the single largest component of waste from businesses going to our landfill and it is one of the easiest items to recycle. So don’t throw it in the dump – recycle it!

• Break down and flatten your cardboard, corrugated cardboard or paper-board (cereal boxes, etc) and stack in an intact box.

• Do not include any cardboard contaminated with oil, grease, food or chemicals.

• Bring your cardboard to one of our drop-off locations.

• We would be happy to come and pick up cardboard at your place of business for a minimal fee. Call us to set up a schedule 468-0254.

PAPER

Shredded Paper, Newspapers, Magazines, and Office Paper.Our Newspaper is recycled with Applegate Insulation in Penrose, Colorado, where they re-purpose the newspaper into insulation for homes.

GLASS

Our glass is currently being recycled with Miller Coors in Colorado.

Electronics

Electronics Recycling is available at the Swink Sugar Factory location only.We are partnering with “Sustainability” to ethically recycle your electronics while providing meaningful jobs in Colorado.For data destruction, take your computer to Triad Computer Systems at 1321 E 3rd in La Junta. They will certifiably erase all personal data and then recycle your computer through Clean Valley.

WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY ?

The best way to explain what a circular economy is, is to compare it to our current linear economy. In our current economic system, we extract resources from our planet at an ever-increasing pace, and turn them into a product that we mostly dispose after use. From the perspective of an individual or organization, that seems efficient. However, zooming out to a global level shows how unsustainable this approach is.In order for those same individuals and organizations to thrive, we need an economic system that operates within our planetary boundaries. A circular economy is one that is waste-free and resilient by design. It is a new economic model that is ambitious as well as practical. Designing the economy in a way that is restorative of ecosystems, ambitious with its innovation, and impacts society, is a bold challenge but one that is achievable when guided by the below principles of the circular economy.

SIX PRINCIPLES TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM

Circular economy is all about closing resource loops, mimicking natural ecosystems in the way we organize our society and businesses. But we shouldn’t be closing loops just for the sake of it. We also have to take into account the social and ecological impact of our actions, and use renewable energy to make the transition towards a circular economy happen.

Economic Recycling Benefits and Facts

Well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfilling, and incineration.The more people recycle, the cheaper it gets.Two years after calling recycling a $40 million drain on the city, New York City leaders realized that a redesigned, efficient recycling system could actually save the city $20 million and they have now signed a 20-year recycling contract.Recycling helps families save money, especially in communities with pay-as-you-throw programs.Well-designed programs save money. Communities have many options available to make their programs more cost-effective, including maximizing their recycling rates, implementing pay-as-you-throw programs, and including incentives in waste management contracts that encourage disposal companies to recycle more and dispose of less.Recycling creates 1.1 million U.S. jobs, $236 billion in gross annual sales and $37 billion in annual payrolls.Public sector investment in local recycling programs pays great dividends by creating private sector jobs. For every job collecting recyclables, there are 26 jobs in processing the materials and manufacturing them into new products.Recycling creates four jobs for every one job created in the waste management and disposal industries.Thousands of U.S. companies have saved millions of dollars through their voluntary recycling programs. They wouldn’t recycle if it didn’t make economic sense.