4 - Matters from the Department, Recycling UpdateCity of Boulder
~~ Parks and Recreation Department ~~ i///°~,~~
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~ MEMORANDUM ~
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TO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board PRAB File Matenal
FROM: Jan Geden, CPRP, Director of Pazks and Recreat~on
Sazah DeSouza, Assistant to the Duector
SUBJECT: Matters from the Department
DATE: October 20, 2002
Recvclin¢ Uodate
Please see Attachment A, Recychng m Urban Pazks, at Special Events, and Public Places.
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Attachment A
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Recycling in Urban Parks, at Special Events, and Public Places PRAB Ftle Material
In February of 2002, staff brought to the Board an mfonnanon item regarding trash
collection m and opportumttes for testing recycling m urban parks m 2002.
Envtronmental Affairs staff has worked with Parks and Recreation Department staff, and
the Downtown and Univervty Htll General Improvement Districts to create pilot projects
for recycling m urban parks, m public places, and at Special Events throughout Boulder
ANALYSIS•
Urban Parks
Four parks were chosen imUally for recycling collectton tests Stazto Ball Fields, Martin
Park, Tom Watson Park, and the Skate Park. A combination of bins and collectton
methodologies were enacted and will continue to be tested throughout 2003 There were
maior delays m fully tmplemennng the 2002 test period, as one pnmazy type of bin was
on backorder all summer long As was discussed wnh the Boazd m February, it is critical
to have properly designed bins to maximize recycling and mtmmize contamination with
non-recyclables Envtronmental Affairs staff wanted to ensure that we were using the
correct type of bin to provide the best measure for analyzing the likely outcomes for this
program
As a reminder, the two types of parks recycling contmners proposed aze
PYRAMID TOP
For mternalto
the city parks.
Must be emptied
I into a cart for
EcoCycle to pick
up
TOTER
Carts located near
the periphery of
parks
Must be located
somewhere that
EcoCycle trucks can
access
The Pyramid Top containers must be emptied into a container that EcoCycle can pickup
with their trucks Parks staff or contractors will do this consolidation of the recyclables
Environmental Affairs will pay for EcoCycle to collect the recyclables from the parks as
part of the Ctty Office Recycling Program contract
At Tom Watson Park, a wheeled, "Toter" cart w1s placed at each ball field (5 total)
BM and their vendors are responvble for moving the carts to a place near the periphery
of the park, where EcoCycle can empty them once per week
At Martin Park, tour "Pyramid Top 'recycling containers (tor commingled containers)
are still an order, and will be placed m two locations inside the shelter next to trashcans
AGENDA ITEM #1,~, PAGE~_
An additional wheeled Toter was placed on the street (Eastman Avenue) near the ball `"~
fields, for commingled containers Parks staff will empty the Pyramtd Tops into Toters '~
located at the Parks Tantra shop EcoCycle collects recyclables from the Toters at the """
Parks shop as well as the one that has been located on the street by the ball field
A[ Stazro Ball fields, 5 Pyramtd Top containers, one near each of the ball fields, and one
near the central shelter area will be placed. These bins are all still on order EcoCycle
will be placing a newly designed recychng dumpster at the edge of the pazking lot at
Stazto Ball fields, near where their trash dumpster is currently located Parks staff will
empty the Pyramtd Top containers into the dumpster
The Skate Park will have 3 Pyramtd Top containers, located near the vending machines
Parks Department staff will also empty these containers and the recyclables will be
consolidated into existing Toters at the Athletics Office by Scott Carpenter Park and the
Skate Park
Although all of the Toters have already been placed to the pazks, the Pyramtd Tops are on
back order, so we will need to watt until Spnng/Summer ?003 to fully analyze the cost
impacts of urban park recycling
Public Places
.mss,
Wuhm the next 6 months, two to three new clusters of recychng bins will be placed on or _.,
neaz the Pearl Street Mall, so there is one on each block of the mall The Walrus, on ,,,~
Walnut and 1 Lth Street has also requested a cluster be placed m front of their business ,,,,,
Staff is looking into the possibilmes of providing this as well Environmental
Enforcement, the University Hill Business Alliance, and Environmental Affairs staff have
been working together to try to arrange for placement and collection of recycling from
new bin clusters on University Hill m the business distract as well We have gotten buy-
m from some of the businesses that would tike [o see the bins t^ front of their
establishments, and the next steps are to talk with the University Hill Business Distract.
Special Events Recycling
Parks and Recreation staff, Environmental Affairs staff, and the Downtown Management
Division staff have been working together to begin recychng at special events m Boulder
this summer We began with the Creek Fest m May and had recychng containers at the
Boulder Jewish Festival, the Midsummer Night AIDS walk, the Hometown Fatr, and Fall
Fest In a large part due to the hard work and dedication of Parks and Recreation
Department staff, the experience we have gained from these events is allowing us to
implement a new requirement for all special events coordinators that seek an event penntt
with the City
Beginning m '_lH)3, all special events coordinators will be requued to provide some form
of recycling We will outline for them the niimmum requirements and we will give some
gmdance on waste minimization through selective container use by the food vendors We
aze investigating ways to implement an awards program for the least waste special event ''1
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AGENDA 1TEM # ~ V - ,PAGE
`"'~ of the year Environmental Affairs purchased Special Events Recycling Bms, so all the
`'~ events had easily identifiable recycling containers, to begin to establish a "look" to
`""" recycling at special events m Boulder
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Special Events Recycling Bin
Clear green plastic container, somewhat shaped like a
soda bottle However, the Boulder bins have a
custom-made sucker on them with the Gty of
Boulder name and instructions stating cans, glass, and
plastic bottles can be recycled there
AGENDA ITEM #~-~ ,PAGE