SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): Colorado, which ranks among the lowest recycling states in the U.S., is taking a major step to improve its performance with the approval of a new Producer Responsibility Program that will expand free recycling services statewide starting in 2026.
Approved this week by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the program shifts recycling costs away from residents and local governments and onto packaging producers. It is expected to add recycling access to around 700,000 homes, while eliminating curbside recycling fees for households that currently pay for the service.
The program will be operated by Circular Action Alliance, a nonprofit backed by major consumer brands including Amazon, Coca-Cola, Walmart, Mars, and Colgate-Palmolive. Fees charged to producers of packaging such as cardboard, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles will fund recycling collection and processing.
Environmental groups say the initiative could divert hundreds of thousands of tons of waste from landfills annually, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality. Once fully implemented, the program is projected to keep 400,000 tons of waste out of Colorado landfills each year by 2035, significantly boosting the state’s recycling rate and long-term environmental outcomes.
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