Lisa Cutter
Kevin Priola
Supply-chain disruptions are a major cause of rising consumer costs. We have a simple solution in Colorado: more recycling. We currently bury more than $100 million worth of commodities — paper, metal, glass and plastics — in our landfills each year. If instead those materials were collected, sorted and sold to make new products, it would boost our economy by providing a more resilient domestic supply and reduce reliance on foreign imports.
Why aren’t we already recycling these materials? Why is our state recycling rate stagnant at 15%? It is because we do not have convenient or equal access to recycling. Some cities like Denver, Fort Collins, Montrose and Durango provide curbside recycling automatically to residents with their trash service, but most communities do not. For most, the barrier is cost; residents must pay extra to have recycling collected. For many others, no service is available. Transporting recycled materials great distances to Front Range processors and distant-end markets is also expensive. In order to make our recycling economy work, we need both a steady dependable feedstock and local-end markets to buy the recycled material to make into new products. Right now, our system is broken, and we need to fix it.
We have been working hard on this fix — producer responsibility. Producer-responsibility policies have been in place for decades in 40 countries. These policies result in recycling rates of 60-80% and have created local circular economies that are more resilient to global fluctuations. This industry-run solution will engage brand owners — like Coca Cola, Tide, Unilever, Mars and Amazon — to fund and manage a coordinated, statewide recycling system for their boxes, containers and other packaging. This new system will be held accountable to an advisory board and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The brand owners will contract with haulers and other service providers to provide every resident in the state with recycling at no charge. Producer responsibility is not a recycling mandate, but a new transformational way to fund and provide convenient and effective recycling to residents without burdening state or local government.
Producer responsibility benefits Colorado businesses by creating a reliable domestic supply of raw materials. While producers will pay into the system, it amounts to fractions of a penny for each bottle, can or box they use to sell their products in Colorado. Similar programs in Europe and Canada have not led to noticeable increases in consumer prices. Further, the bill protects small businesses, including many local farmers and breweries, by exempting companies making less than $5 million in gross revenue.
This program will help us recycle more of our waste stream and reduce our carbon footprint. World events have demonstrated the need to boost our supply chain with a resilient local supply of materials. Producer responsibility will lessen the burden on our landfills, and help Colorado develop resiliency and a more circular economy. It is a win for our environment and a win for our economy.
Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton, represents District 25 in the Colorado House. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, represents District 25 in the Colorado Senate.
