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Less Garbage Hurts Summit County Recycling Program

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Oct 17, 2009 3:07 pm US/Mountain

Less Garbage Hurts Summit County Recycling Program

Reporting
Stan Bush
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) ― A drop in trash levels is usually considered a good thing, but environmentalists in Summit County say it could hurt their recycling program.

The county may have to start rethinking how to make recycling work in the recession.

"Trash volumes are down, specifically up here in the mountains from construction taking a sharp decline," said Carly Wier with High Country Conservationists.

With fewer companies building, there isn't nearly enough trash to handle and Summit County is now down 25,000 tons of garbage.

The garbage fees cover the recycling program.

"We definitely need to find a new funding source for recycling, because as we do a better job of recycling and diverting waste, we're going to be having less trash volumes to support the recycling infrastructure," Wier said.

Recycling has always been free in Summit County and thoughts to start charging were immediately dismissed. But residents may have to pay more for trash pickup as soon as January.

"Trash removal fees will relatively and instantly go up for the user. We charge more at the gate, which haulers pay, and then the haulers charge the users," said Kevin Berg with the Summit County landfill.

Conservationists hope the waste industry will change how they view recyclables soon. If not, Summit County could see a new tax on the ballot in a few years.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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