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Solid Waste outlines diversion roadmap; household hazardous‑waste and battery programs expand
Summary
Solid Waste reported roughly 320,000 tons received in 2024 and described two facilities under construction (a north landfill and a diversion/transfer station) plus plans for C&D, compost and food‑waste processing to increase diversion toward county and state goals.
Dwayne Penny, director of Solid Waste, told commissioners July 21 that the Larimer County landfill received about 320,000 tons of material in the prior year and described a multi‑facility infrastructure plan to increase diversion. "If we build a C&D facility we can increase diversion to 35–40%; adding compost and food‑waste processing could push diversion toward 80%," Penny said, describing the master plan's five‑facility approach.
Penny said two facilities are under construction: a new north landfill and a diversion/transfer station at the Larimer County Landfill, both anticipated to be in operation by July 1 (presentation did not state a year). The diversion and transfer capability is intended to enable future recycling and processing facilities, including a construction‑and‑demolition (C&D) processing plant, a compost facility and a food‑waste processor.
Household hazardous waste: Penny said the county's HHW program receives about 20,000 visitors annually and accepts paint, batteries, bulbs, used oil and similar materials. He described a "swap and drop" program in which about 31% of 476 tons handled at HHW last year — roughly 147 tons — were redistributed to residents for reuse, reducing disposal volume and costs.
Batteries and extended producer responsibility: commissioners and staff discussed national and international shifts in recycling markets. Penny said Colorado will implement extended‑producer‑responsibility (EPR) programs that require manufacturers to fund recycling of packaging and batteries, which the department expects will improve markets for recycled material and ease local costs for battery recycling. Penny said commercial batteries (for power tools and lawn equipment) remain a concern because batteries embedded in equipment can cause fires if disposed of incorrectly.
Why this matters: infrastructure investments and EPR legislation will influence the county's ability to divert waste from the landfill, reduce air‑emissions reporting burdens and manage hazardous materials safely.
Ending: Penny said the county's goal is 40% diversion by 2030 as an intermediate target aligned with state goals, and staff will use the new transfer/diversion capacity to pursue processing facilities and partnerships.
