The Yampa Valley Sustainability Council is continuing its work to localize the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Erase the Waste campaign. This month, YVSC is focusing efforts to educate Yampa Valley residents on the state of waste diversion in Colorado and locally.

According to a news release from YVSC, knowledge of local policies and practices can help individuals and organizations make informed decisions about waste diversion. YVSC offered the following summary of state, county and city waste diversion statistics, as well as ways residents can educate and empower themselves to do more:

• Colorado’s recycling rate is about 16%, far below the national average of 32%.
• According to the CDPHE, Routt County diverts 13% of its waste.
• Steamboat Springs recycles 9%, according to its 2022 Recycling Study.
• In 2021, Routt County and Steamboat adopted the Climate Action Plan, which identified the target to increase waste diversion in Routt County to 46% by 2030.
• If it’s unknown what waste to divert, YVSC recommends focusing on the top five categories: cardboard and paper, plastics No. 1 and No. 2, aluminum cans, tin or steel containers, and glass bottles.

To learn more about waste diversion, YVSC suggests consulting the Yampa Valley Recycles app, going to SteamboatSprings.net/1298/Recycling, EraseTheWasteCO.com, or emailing Winn Cowman at winn.cowman@yvsc.org.