Recycling

Signs Accepted at Recycling Drop-off Locations

Got Leftover Turkey Fryer Oil this Thanksgiving?

If you're planning on deep frying a turkey this holiday season and are wondering what to do about all that leftover cooking oil, we've got good news. Back by popular demand, the second annual Holiday recycOil® one-day event will take place the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Brought to you by the City of Fort Collins in partnership with Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises (RMSE), you're invited to stop by with your used vegetable oil on Saturday, November 29, from 10 am to 4 pm, at the Rivendell Recycling Center at 1702 Riverside in Fort Collins. City staff will be at hand to guide you as you pour your waste vegetable oil (WVO) into a Holiday recycOil® barrel. Please make sure that you bring your oil in a leak proof, sealable container that you will then take back home to reuse or recycle.

By participating in this event last year, Fort Collins residents helped divert 375 gallons of waste vegetable oil (WVO) from clogging drains and sanitary sewers.

If you have questions, please call 221-6600, or email .

Will You Be Using Vegetable Oil After Thanksgiving?

Fort Collins residents eager to find a way to recycle their waste vegetable oil (WVO) will be able to take advantage of a new innovative partnership. Starting in early December, the City is piloting WVO drop-off services for residents at two local businesses. Habitat Home Supply Store and Eco-Thrift will begin accepting WVO, which will then be manufactured into biodiesel.

On December 1, Habitat will launch its used cooking oil collection initiative. They can be reached at 223-9909 and are located at 4001 S. Taft Hill Road. Their hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, from 9 am until 5:30 pm. On December 5, Eco-Thrift will begin accepting WVO from residents. They can be contacted at 484-4224 and their address is 208 N. Howes Street. Eco-Thrift is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm.

It's critically important not to drop off WVO except during hours of operations at partnering business' stores; unattended drop-offs could compromise the long-term viability of this innovative new project.

New EPA Guidelines for Proper Electronics Recycling Released

To encourage electronics recyclers to implement more sustainable and healthy practices in their e-waste recycling programs, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of an industry stakeholder group, released a new set of guidelines.

Learn more ->>

Christmas Tree Recycling

Wishing you could recycle your Christmas tree instead of throwing it away? Wish no more. Residents of Fort Collins and Larimer County are once again welcome to bring their undecorated tree to one of five designated spots from December 26, 2008, through January 19, 2009. Tree drop-off is FREE!

Collected trees are picked up weekly during this period and processed into garden mulch that will be available to residents in the spring. Simply remove all lights, tinsel, ornaments, string and wire. No flocked trees (with sprayed on fake snow) or Christmas tree bags. The City of Fort Collins partners with Larimer County once again, for this year’s tree recycling program. The roll-off containers are for residential Christmas trees only.

Take a peek at the locations where you can recycle your tree and get more details on why a recycling holiday tradition matters!

Pilot Project Improves Glass Recycling and Reduces Landfill Waste

Hot off the press! A new glass recycling initiative offers residents of Fort Collins, Larimer County and Loveland the option of participating in a voluntary pilot project that ensures nearly 100% recyclability of their glass bottles and jars.

Learn more ->>

• Coloradoan Column: "Team Tackles Tricky Task of Recycling Glass" (pdf)
• Article: "Glass Recycling Pilot Project Launches" (pdf)
• Glass Recycling Drop-off Centers & Types of Glass Accepted (pdf)
• Glass Recycling Questions and Answers (pdf; updated 10 November 2008)
• "Best Management Practices for Glass Recycling in Northern Colorado" (2008) (1 mb pdf)
• Got Questions or Comments?

CFL Recycling.

Replacing traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is an easy way to make your home more energy efficient and save money on your utility bill. Modern CFLs are available in numerous styles, produce great light, and last much longer than standard bulbs. CFLs do contain small amounts of mercury, however, so residents are encouraged to handle bulbs properly should they break (pdf) and to recycle expired CFLs instead of throwing them out with the trash. Local CFL recycling options include the Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility , Downtown Ace Hardware, Clay's Ace Hardware, Drake Hardware and Lumber, and the Light Center. Learn more ->>

Buy and Donate Reusable Building Materials at ReSource.

Upwards of 30% of our community waste stream is comprised of C&D (construction and demolition) materials, much of which can be recovered and reused. ReSource accepts tax-deductible donations of used and recovered building materials and sells them back to the community at low cost.

Visit the www.resourceyard.org or call 498.9663 (WOOD) for more information. ReSource is located at 1501 North College Ave in Fort Collins, and is open Monday - Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday, 11am-4pm.

Eco-Thrift is "Reuse in action"

Eco-Thrift features pre-owned furniture, clothing and sportswear, outdoor gear, electronics, appliances, furniture, tools, and garden items. The 100% green energy powered store also accepts donations of working used items, providing an alternative to landfilling. Pick-up service is available. For more information call 484.4224 or visit www.eco-thrift.com. The store is located at 208 N Howes St, Fort Collins.

Re-Cycle Your Bicycle

Working in conjuction with FC Bikes and Bike Fort Collins, the volunteer-run FC Bicycle Co-Op is located at 222 Laporte Avenue (484-3804). The Bike Co-Op refurbishes bikes for individuals and families who are financially challenged and also conducts an Earn-a-Bike program for at risk youths and adults. FC Bike Co-op volunteers also maintain the fleet of bikes in the FC Bike Library. Bicycles that cannot be refurbished are recycled, including all scrap metal (at Aragon Iron and Metal) and tires and tubes (at New Belgium Brewing Company).

Thanks for re-cycling! Learn more ->>

New Community Exchange Website launched

The Fort Collins Community Exchange recently launched as an on-line bulletin board where citizens can get rid of their gently used goods and materials through barter, for free, or in exchange for other items. For example, one category space is reserved for gardeners who want to exchange plants, seeds, materials, ideas, advice, and even home-grown produce. Other categories include a moving-box exchange, a book exchange, and a building materials / tools exchange.

Community organizers and businesses are invited to post announcements and calendar events to the Fort Collins Community Exchange. Users are able to personalize their profile, attach documents, and send private messages to other community members without utilizing their own email. Learn more ->>

Other exchange type websites include: Leaf Exchange, Compost Worm Exchange and FreeCycle.

City Recycling Drop-off Facility

Fort Collins residents small businesses have a centrally located recycling drop-off site, located at 1702 Riverside, just north of the Rivendell School. The one-acre drop-off site is open year-round to the public during daylight hours. Learn more->>

• How to Prepare Recyclables for the Drop-off (pdf)
• Drop-off center volumes (pdf)
• Map for directions

Fort Collins FreeCycle Network

Think globally, recycle (and reuse) locally. The Freecycle Network is a grassroots materials exchange network. The rules are simple: everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. The Fort Collins Freecycle Group has over 4,000 active members. Other Northern Colorado groups include Loveland, Greeley and Longmont. Cleaning the garage and can't bear to landfill all that accumulated stuff? Freecycle it!

Streets Crushing Operations Site

Thinking about doing a little foundation work, reconstructing the driveway or just tidying up the yard of old cement chunks? If so, you'll be happy to learn that the City has a program open to the public that will recycle those materials (free) as road-base to go underneath the paving in city streets. Materials accepted include:

• clean fill dirt
• pit run (clean direct and rock mixture)
• bricks
• concrete chuncks (small, clean chunks, no rebar or wire mesh, no wood, other contaminants or excessive dirt)
• clean, broken or milled asphalt

Learn more ->>

The Garbage Garage Education Center

The Larimer County "Garbage Garage" waste education center opened April 26, 2003 and features educational and interactive displays about the problems associated with an overabundance of trash. "Patty Packrat" directs visitors through the Garbage Garage, starting with the Mountain of Trash and from there you can choose from a variety of exits into areas depicting various methods of handling waste: reducing, reusing and recycling or landfilling. Enter the kitchen/garage area to learn what household hazardous wastes are and how to safely handle them.

The Garbage Garage is located at the Larimer County Landfill, 5887 S. Taft Hill Road, Fort Collins. The center sits just north of the recycling bins. For more information, visit the Larimer County website or call 498-5772.