Projects · Waste & Resources

Recycling in Rico

Building a recycling and composting program that keeps resources in our community and out of the landfill — part of shaping a different future for our historic mining town.

Why it matters

A recycling program built for our mountain town.

Rico Land Collaborative is working to bring reliable recycling, composting, and organics diversion to Rico — a small, remote community where hauling waste up and down the mountain is expensive and resource-intensive.

Encouraging our community's connection with place means caring for the land in practical, everyday ways. Keeping recyclable and compostable materials out of the landfill reduces the miles our trash travels, cuts costs for residents, and returns nutrients to the soil right here in the valley.

This project is evolving alongside new state policy — most notably Colorado's Extended Producer Responsibility law — which is reshaping how recycling is funded and delivered in communities like ours.

Colorado Policy

Extended Producer Responsibility

Colorado's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill shifts the cost and responsibility of recycling onto the producers of packaging and paper products, rather than onto local taxpayers and small towns. The goal is to expand recycling access statewide and make it more consistent — including for rural communities like Rico.

Producers pay

Companies that put packaging and paper on the market fund a statewide recycling system through producer fees, rather than the cost falling on residents and local governments.

Statewide access

The program aims to provide recycling services to communities across Colorado — including many rural and mountain areas that have historically had little or no access.

Phased rollout

Implementation happens in stages, with a producer responsibility organization managing the program, needs assessments, and a growing list of accepted materials over time. [ confirm current rollout dates ]

As Colorado implements the program, RLC is tracking how it applies to Rico so we can help residents take full advantage of expanded recycling services as they become available.

Composting & Organics

Returning organics to the soil.

Food scraps and yard waste make up a large share of what typically ends up in the landfill. Composting keeps those organics out of the trash and turns them into healthy soil instead.

A community composting and organics program means fewer trash miles hauled off the mountain, less methane produced in the landfill, and finished compost that can enrich local gardens, projects, and lands here in Rico.

Building organics diversion alongside recycling helps close the loop — food and plant waste becomes a resource rooted right here, reflecting RLC's belief in a future connected to the natural world.

Now Available

Moco Compost is now
serving Rico!

Great news for our community — Moco Compost is now serving Rico, making it easier than ever to divert your food scraps and organics from the landfill and turn them into compost. It's a meaningful step toward the recycling and composting future we're building together.