Renovations in process at Boulder's recycling and reuse center

Deborah Swearingen, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·3 min read

Feb. 24—Upgrades to Resource Central's Reuse Center and Eco-Cycle's Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials are underway.

The $2.3 million project, a collaboration between the nonprofit organizations and Boulder, is meant to protect the recycled materials available for reuse as well as the customers who use the facility at 6400 Arapahoe Road in Boulder. It's seen by those involved as the next step in Boulder's vision to create an innovation hub for waste reduction along "Recycle Row," the location of Boulder's various recycle and reuse facilities.

The upgrades, which began last week, include insulating and heating the organizations' shared warehouse and adding LED lighting, racking for materials and public restrooms. The project also includes covering the outdoor materials yard and adding solar electricity generation.

Covering the outdoor materials yard is a big step forward, according to Resource Central CEO Neal Lurie.

"Resource Central currently diverts about four million pounds of building materials from landfills every year, and that's great. But the materials are open and exposed to the elements here, so day after day, rain and snow are ruining building materials that could be used for home improvement projects by local families," Lurie said.

If Boulder hopes to create an innovation hub, Eco-Cycle Director Suzanne Jones said this project is "part of the pathway to get there."

"As we move towards a circular economy, where we reuse or repurpose items before they become waste, services like those offered at Resource Central and CHaRM are critical," Kara Mertz, Boulder's sustainability manager, stated in a news release. "The improvements at 6400 Arapahoe are investments in our sustainable future."

Further, Eco-Cycle and Resource Central staff see it as a natural next step due to both organizations' continued growth. Eco-Cycle, for example, has gone from fewer than 5,000 visitors in 2001 to more than 50,000 last year.

"As you grow, you evolve," Jones said. "With that increased use and increased volume of materials, come growing pains. So I think part of it is simply: It is now time to make some upgrades.

Jones said the project will help with access and ease of use, which in turn leads to an increase in reused and recycled materials.

The project is in large part funded by Boulder's community, culture and safety tax, which designated $1.4 million for the effort. Voters in 2017 approved an extension of the 0.3% sales tax meant to fund capital infrastructure projects and are likely to be asked to extend it again this year.

While people often think of utilities and transportation as the best means of achieving Boulder's carbon emissions reduction goal, Lurie said reducing waste ultimately is one of the easiest ways to do so.

"It's a huge amount of energy and pollution that comes from there," he said. "By being able to reduce waste, whether through reusing materials or recycling materials, we can massively reduce the amount of energy and associated carbon emissions from there. It just becomes a no brainer."

"A significant portion" of the project is expected to be complete by the end of the summer, though 6400 Arapahoe will remain open during the construction, Lurie said. The recycling and reuse facility is open to residents of Boulder and beyond. CHaRM and the Reuse Center are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.