This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
As the City of Longmont marks the first anniversary of our updated approach to waste services, it’s a great time to applaud our residents who have taken the first steps in waste reduction, but also encourage others to do the same.
Have you taken a look at your waste services subscription lately to make sure you’re getting the best value for your household? A survey of trash containers found that 80 percent of residents are oversubscribed, meaning they did not fill their trash containers and have a larger-than-needed cart. We also learned from that survey that 70 percent of those trash containers contained substantial amounts of recyclable materials, such as bottles, cans, cardboard, etc.
Here are some ways to save both money and landfill space.
Consider reducing your trash cart size. Longmont’s Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) waste service approach lets you adjust your services and save money. PAYT offers you three trash container size (and price) options that tailor to your individual need: small (48 gallon collected every other week), medium (48 gallon collected weekly), and large (96 gallon collected weekly). Combined with recycling and compost, you may be able to select a smaller trash bin, leading to significant monthly savings.
Maximize your recycling to help reduce your trash cart size. Recycling common materials like glass bottles, aluminum cans, and plastic berry clamshell containers can be easy and convenient. Recycling (96 gallon container collected every other week) is included with all trash subscriptions.
Add curbside compost collection. This service option is another opportunity to reduce your landfill trash and still maintain plenty of disposal volume. The compost program accepts a large number of items many residents typically toss in the trash can, like yard waste, food scraps, and paper products (such as tissues, paper towels and shredded paper).
Have you signed up for our 21 Day Challenge? The challenge, underway now, encourages you to pay attention to what you put in your trash and to see if you can find ways to keep a little bit more out of the landfill. Succeeding at the challenge is simple: be mindful when you are tossing your trash and consider if what’s in your hand can go into the recycle bin or a compost bin. Then on collection day, consider whether you can opt for a smaller trash can.
Changes we all make from the 21 Day Challenge can help our community push back against diminishing landfill space and the associated cost increases. It’s good for your budget, good for the environment, and as a bonus, signing up for the 21 Day Challenge enters you in gift card drawings for Downtown Longmont businesses! Find full details on the 21-Day Challenge, and be sure to enter before May 14, at bit.ly/longmont-21daychallenge.
Let’s work together to send less to the landfill and put more to good use!
Charles Kamenides
Longmont, CO
Charles Kamenides is the City of Longmont’s Waste Services Manager. To learn more about Longmont’s waste services, including opt-in curbside composting and right-sizing your trash cart, visit LongmontColorado.gov/solidwaste or call 303-651-8416.
This is an opinion piece that was submitted to the Longmont Observer and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Longmont Observer. If you have an opinion piece you’d like published, please visit our ‘Submit an Opinion’ page.
