Instead of Routt County businesses filling up their trash dumpsters with plastic film from goods shipped on wrapped pallets, or taking up storeroom space with stacks of product plastic bags, they can now take plastic wrap for recycling to a centralized Steamboat Springs location.

As part of the Circular Economy Development Center in Colorado, approximately 40 businesses or school districts statewide are now participating in the Circular Transportation Network that covers 18 pick-up cities so far.

The center works to address rural recycling transportation challenges to collect recyclable materials that are at risk of going to landfills due to challenges faced by small-scale generators with prohibitive transportation costs.

The project takes advantage of trucks from B. Kirkland Trucking, a partner that transports supplies to locations across Colorado. Drivers, with empty trucks, then stop by locations that have accumulated at least six large containers of plastic film in super-sacks.

Kirkland backhauls that bulk-used plastic to Driven Plastics in Pueblo, which then recycles the waste into asphalt products instead of using virgin plastic pellets.

Since January, the Circular Transportation Network has picked up plastic film and wrap waste from larger businesses in Steamboat Springs. Those businesses include B & K Distributing, Steamboat Ace Hardware and the Steamboat Resort, which accumulates significant amounts of plastic film waste.

But now, Steamboat Resort is hosting a centralized collection container in the Meadows parking lot where smaller businesses can sign up to drop off plastic film.

Caitlin Farkas, waste diversion coordinator at the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, said businesses can recycle such flexible plastic films. Those include unneeded bubble wrap, pallet wrap, plastic bags, case overwrap, dry cleaner or newspaper bags, air packing pillows and used padded plastic mailers.

“The Circular Transportation Network is such a valuable program, geared toward addressing rural recycling challenges, namely transportation costs,” Farkas said. “My hope is that the community program approach will make it easier for commercial generators to participate, ultimately keeping plastic films out of the landfill while supporting end-market users.”

Susan Renaud, managing director of engagement for Circular Colorado, an umbrella organization for the project, said the largest volume of plastics gathered comes from plastic wrap around pallets of goods. Renaud said the business recycling program for “back of house” plastic wrap augments what locations such as City Market and Walmart in Steamboat Springs provide for consumer plastic recycling.

Renaud said the program makes recycling bulk plastic film more efficient for all parties and helps small businesses that do not have the space to store six large containers.

“This makes it so much easier for everybody; there’s just not such a barrier to entry,” Renaud said.

Ben Cavarra, sustainability coordinator at Steamboat Resort, said since the resort started recycling its waste plastic film, the resort has recycled 14 super sacks full of flexible plastic, which each hold 64 cubic feet. The recycling program is especially helpful when preseason ski goods arrive in bulk, he said.

Cavarra complimented the Circular Transportation Network program for transforming state-level initiatives into more businesses taking action on the local level.

Business owners and managers in Routt County who want to participate in the community collection program can sign up through Farkas at Caitlin.farkas@yvsc.org or Cavarra at Steamboat Resort at BCavarra@steamboat.com.

For more information, or for businesses or organizations outside of Routt County that want to participate in the plastic wrap recycling program, visit ColoradoCEDC.org/projects.