Golden Sustainability Updates

Changes to City's Waste & Recycling Collection Program

In June, City Council selected a new trash and recycling service provider. Republic Services was chosen for their ability to provide a high standard of services required by the Golden community and will serve 4,500 households in the City’s Waste & Recycling collection program for the next five years. City Council also chose to expand the program by including compost service for all customers and adding curbside bulky item pickup service. These changes align with the City’s sustainability goals to:

• Reduce total landfill contribution by 40% by 2030.

• Recycle 80% of recyclables by 2030.

• Compost 80% of compostables by 2030.

A direct mailer from Republic Services will be sent to customers this month; it will include new service days, new pricing and more information about changes to the program.

TRASH & RECYCLING FAQS

Q: Will the days of my service change? A: Yes, Republic Services proposed a 3-day service plan for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Q: Will the pricing change? A: Yes, due to the inclusion of compost service for all customers, prices are expected to increase for most customers. Customers who participated in the voluntary compost program should expect their bill to decrease.

Q: Will I have to get new carts? A: No, the City owns the trash and recycling carts in the program, so please continue to use them. All customers will be issued new compost carts in their chosen size as soon as they become available.

Q: Who do I contact for changes to my trash service? A: Please continue to use the Golden specific phone line for service changes at 303-277-8727.

CSAB YOUTH GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

The Community Sustainability Advisory Board is pleased to announce their 2021 grant program is currently accepting applications! Applications are open to any educational group based within the city limits and all projects will be evaluated by the Board before a competitive selection process. Projects should propose to achieve tangible environmental benefits and provide educational opportunities or materials for the community. Eligible projects would address issues from renewable energy, water conservation, energy efficiency, or waste diversion.

To apply, please complete the online application at CityofGolden. seamlessdocs.com/f/youthgrant. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the school year. For questions, email goldensustainability@ cityofgolden.net.

LAUNDRY TO LANDSCAPE

Did you know the City of Golden designed the first laundry to landscape graywater system permitting program in the state of Colorado? These systems allow water from laundry machines to be reused as plant irrigation and are an exciting step in achieving Golden’s goal to reduce water usage by 15% by 2030.

The Laundry to Landscape program is available to all single family residences. For more information on installing these systems and to apply for a graywater system permit, please visit www.cityofgolden.net/graywater.