Projects Would Reduce Waste, Salvage Debris Under New Ordinance in Aspen, CO

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): A city of Aspen ordinance addressing the disposal of construction and demolition debris could result in salvaging thousands of tons of reusable products from the landfill, city officials said. The ordinance would require construction and demolition projects with a disturbance area of 2,000 square feet or more to divert 100% of all possible recoverable materials from the Pitkin County Landfill and Solid Waste Center. The Aspen City Council approved the ordinance on first reading during a Dec. 17 meeting.

The ordinance aims to help the city reach its goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 63% by 2030 and reducing the amount of waste at the landfill by 70% by 2050. About 16% of the city’s annual greenhouse gas emissions are related to the generation of waste at the landfill, said Ainsley Brosnan-Smith, the city’s waste diversion and recycling program administrator. Over half of the total materials buried at the landfill are construction and demolition debris.

Of the 53% of construction and demolition debris materials found in the landfill, more than half is locally salvageable and usable, Brosnan-Smith said. “So, over half of what is thrown away of (construction and demolition debris) today could’ve been salvaged and brought back to our local economy,” Brosnan-Smith said. The city council directed staff to devise an ordinance that would minimize the amount of construction and demolition debris the landfill receives, during a May 13 work session. The city used Pitkin County’s construction and demolition debris program as a model.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com