{"id":737867,"date":"2026-07-02T00:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T00:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/737867\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T00:00:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T00:00:32","slug":"mandatory-composting-in-durango-city-council-will-decide-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/737867\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandatory composting in Durango? City Council will decide this fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Early survey results show support for improved existing services over new costs<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Will Goodwin with Table to Farm Compost mixes different types of material in a compost pile June 24 at the business\u2019 compost yard on County Road 236 in La Plata County. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The city of Durango is ahead of the curve when it comes to recycling. This fall, councilors will decide how seriously the city \u2013 and residents \u2013 should take composting.<\/p>\n

City Council was presented with six broad composting regulation options for residential, commercial and internal city requirements in early June. Some options would mandate composting for residents and\/or businesses. Some options would require the city itself to step up its game. Other options would continue or broaden current composting efforts such as the city\u2019s partnership with Table to Farm Compost.<\/p>\n

Early survey results show participating residents prefer a focus on enhanced curbside collection services and improved spring and fall city cleanups to heavier handed methods of increasing composting in Durango\u2019s community.<\/p>\n

Resource Recycling Systems Consultant Rachel Perlman said a Strategic Technical Expertise for the Public Sector survey of 237 responses showed 81% of respondents supported a requirement for residents to have a regular collection of food scraps. Ninety-four percent of respondents supported the same requirement for businesses.<\/p>\n

Those surveyed would also be more likely to support required composting if collection rates were tied to bin sizes similarly to how trash collection services are priced, she said.<\/p>\n

The options provided to City Council through the STEPS study are:<\/p>\n

A requirement for residential organics collection service.A requirement for commercial organics collection service.An organics diversion requirement.Operational improvements and program expansion.The status quo \u2013 an opt-in system with a contracted hauler.Internal city organics diversion and reducing food scraps at city buildings, and buying and using local compost and mulch.<\/p>\n

Exploring options<\/p>\n

Eco-Cycle Consulting Manager Rachel Wheeler said the composting status quo is residents and businesses can opt into food scraps collection provided by Table to Farm, with which the city contracted in 2021 to provide optional curbside compost collection. The city offers a discount to income-qualified residents that covers 90% of compost service costs.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Will Goodwin of Table to Farm Compost lets finished compost product run through his fingers. Durango City Council will decide in the fall what, if any, new composting requirements it may impose. Those requirements could require residential and\/or commercial compost collections or amount to expanded city operations such as spring and fall cleanups. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

She said about 15% of the city\u2019s waste hauling customers subscribe to Table to Farm\u2019s curbside compost program.<\/p>\n

Wheeler said Louisville, Lafayette and Golden are examples of other Colorado cities that have required residential compost collection services.<\/p>\n

Generally, residents pay a mandatory fee for a city or contracted hauling service that collects organic materials such as food scraps and yard trimmings, she said. The system is similar to trash and recycling collections and fees on utility bills.<\/p>\n

Wheeler said Louisville, Lafayette and Golden use a \u201cpay-as-you-throw\u201d model, in which residents\u2019 fees are based on the sizes of their compost containers. Residents there can opt out of receiving a compost bin, but they still pay the fee.<\/p>\n

She said Denver is slightly different in that the city hauls trash, recycling and composting for residents, but residents must opt into receiving the compost bin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no additional cost in all of those communities,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s a system that really incentivizes people to try to throw less in their trash bin and to put more in the recycling and compost streams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denver, Boulder, Aspen and Longmont also require commercial entities, including businesses, government agencies and multifamily residential buildings with more than eight units to use a compost collection service through a hauler of their choice, she said. Fort Collins also applies the same requirements to grocery stores.<\/p>\n

A policy prohibiting residents and businesses from disposing of organics in the trash is comparable to banning electronics from landfills, Wheeler said. Enforcement would be through fines, warnings or even refusal by a hauler to pick up one\u2019s trash if it contains \u201cobvious amounts of organic materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis leaves it up to individuals to decide how to avoid putting organics in the landfill and provides more options for people on how they want to participate in composting. But it can be harder to enforce,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said the Glenwood Springs, for example, disincentivizes organic waste dumping into the South Canyon Landfill with hefty tipping fees. Organics can be dropped off at a designated brush pile at the landfill.<\/p>\n

If the city were to focus on its existing programs rather than implement new requirements, it could offer continuous yard trimmings collections instead of twice annually during spring and fall cleanups; provide drop-off sites for residents to bring their compostable materials; or offer more seasonal collections at designated sites.<\/p>\n

The city could also lead by example by requiring composting at city buildings, Wheeler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could help build a culture of composting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Early sentiment<\/p>\n

A STEPS focus group of Durango stakeholders showed participants were most interested in improvement and expansion of current city services. There was resistance to instituting a diversion requirement or prohibiting residents or businesses from throwing away compostable materials.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jeremy Church with Table to Farm Compost walks through rows of aging compost at the composting yard on County Road 236 in La Plata County. Durango City Council will decide this fall how seriously the city \u2013 and residents \u2013 should take composting. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While mandatory composting would divert more organics from the landfill, it would also potentially impose increased costs to residents and businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did show mixed support for requiring single-family collections service and the same mixed support for requiring commercial organics service,\u201d Wheeler said.<\/p>\n

She said the state\u2019s new Producer Responsibility Program, which will reimburse communities for recycling fees by collecting fees from producers of recyclable materials, would potentially make it more feasible for municipalities to add or expand compost services.<\/p>\n

City Sustainability Manager Marty Pool said spring and fall cleanups are paid for by trash and recycling fee revenues and carried out by the city\u2019s streets crews.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, the city uses that fee to supplement the cost of providing those services by the streets crew,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The spring and fall used to represent a \u201clull\u201d in demand for street crews, which is why the spring and fall cleanups were possible. That\u2019s just not the case anymore, however, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Produce from local retailers is collected by Table to Farm Compost and mixed in with different material to compost at its yard on County Road 236 in La Plata County. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThat lull is decreasing and our streets crew is really maxed out,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not any staff or equipment capacity to really take on regular, communitywide collections to the degree that you would see for spring and fall cleanup.<\/p>\n

If the city were to increase the frequency of cleanups, it would have to rethink how to fund operations, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do offer \u2013 and have for a long, long time \u2013 bulk collections for people,\u201d he said. \u201cBut typically, that\u2019s not something residents take the city on for their summertime yard waste collections.\u201d<\/p>\n

cburney@durangoherald.com<\/p>\n

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