Overview
The Boulder County Recycling Center prepares recyclable materials for shipment to recycling mills. The facility processes over 45,000 tons a year and has the capacity to process 75,000 tons a year.
Tours & Education
The facility provides visitors the opportunity to see all aspects of the recycling process by incorporating:
- Recycling Center Tours
- Video Library – Resource Conservation
- Outdoor amphitheater, viewing walkway and observation tower in the processing building, and interactive educational displays
Single-Stream Processing
Boulder County Recycling Center accepts and processes single-stream recyclable materials. Single-Stream Recycling means all recyclable containers and recyclable paper materials are combined in one bin. This involves an automated baler for paper that produces larger and denser bales for efficient rail shipment, several sorting platforms, a double deck paper screen followed by a French Screen and a system to optically remove stones, ceramics and porcelain from the glass.
Environmental Sustainability Features
The facility includes a public drop-off center, tipping floor, materials processing center for preparing materials for shipment, rail spur for shipping, and offices.
Environmental sustainability is maximized with special attention to:
- Daylighting (clerestory lighting) throughout the administration and processing buildings
- Use of sustainable and recycled materials
- Reuse of roof water for irrigation
- Innovative water polishing techniques to protect the wetlands
Native plant and xeriscape landscaping
Another aspect is the use of a rail spur to reduce truck traffic. Every boxcar filled eliminates four tractor-trailers. A secondary tip area where clean paper products from drop-off centers can be unloaded and fed directly to the baler. This reduces operator costs and enhances revenues for material suppliers.
Accepts Materials From
- Recyclable Materials can be dropped off by residents and small businesses at the public drop-off center, 24 hours and seven days per week.
- Recycling Rebates for Licensed Haulers – local haulers that deliver recyclables from residential curbside collections, Recycling Drop-Off Centers, and business recycling programs receive recycling rebates.
All materials are processed and shipped by truck or rail car to recycling mills.
Hazardous materials (such as latex paint, aerosol cans, anti-freeze, etc.) are accepted at the Hazardous Materials Management Facility across the parking lot from the Recycling Center.