Braden Miguel, a Sunrise Movement organizer, told the Denver City Council on Aug. 11 that voters and local businesses support stronger organic-waste collection and composting tied to soil restoration. “People were and still are enthusiastic about composting in a waste system that makes more sense,” Miguel said.

Miguel said he gathered more than 400 signatures to place the Waste No More ordinance on the ballot and described the measure as part of a broader effort to protect soil health and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. “Soil is the foundation for food production and carbon sequestration,” he quoted from a May Nature Communications article and said the science supports municipal action.

Why it matters: Miguel framed composting and organic-waste policy as both climate and public-health issues, and urged the council to help industry and businesses transition to new systems. He also encouraged city staff and businesses to coordinate on implementation and invited feedback via the Sunrise Denver team email.

Details: Miguel said Sunrise Movement organized signature-gathering events at local festivals and that the coalition is reviewing the ballot language to suggest improvements. He acknowledged potential economic impacts for some firms and urged the city to identify supports for businesses that would struggle to comply. “It may impact profit and ease of some and we can do work to identify and help those struggling,” Miguel said.

Context: Miguel linked organic-waste diversion to larger concerns about soil degradation and climate extremes, citing research language he read aloud during his comments. He asked council members to consider Denver taking a leadership role on the issue.

Next steps: This item was raised during the public-comment period; no council action or staff direction was recorded during the Aug. 11 session.