City Council Tuesday night approved a draft zero waste resolution that calls for the most effective efforts to take the biggest slice out of the solid waste Longmont pumps into local landfills as well as the water and air.
Councilors were presented with two proposed zero waste resolutions that updates a 2008 version. The two resolutions are nearly identical in language but set different waste diversion targets.
The first resolution calls for Longmont to pledge to develop and implement policies and strategies to increase total waste diversion to 70% by 2030 and 85% by 2050.
Activists Tuesday night — in the public invited to be heard portion of the council meeting — argued for the second resolution, which called for total waste diversion to 75% by 2030 and 95% by 2050.
Councilors unanimously agreed to back the second, more stringent resolution. Councilor Aren Rodriguez said the resolution will guide the city’s environmental goals. “In my opinion, aiming higher is the way to go… we have already declared a climate emergency,” Rodriguez said.
Councilors reviewed a zero waste resolution in June but asked that the staff bring back a revised draft that includes stronger action statements to drive the city’s zero waste efforts, according to a city staff report.
Both drafts were prepared with legal review and signature pages should councilors move forward with either version, the staff report says.
Councilors were also told to expect to review a universal recycling ordinance in December.
