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Old 08-15-2017, 01:24 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,318,490 times
Reputation: 35920

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Quote:
Originally Posted by hikernut View Post
Every city has their own programs. In Louisville we had regular trash, recycles, and composting. So three separate bins, each on their own pickup schedules, and each with their own fees IIRC.

There used to be a public recycle drop point, just east of Old Town, which is no longer there. We no longer live in Louisville, and I'm not sure if it was moved or just eliminated. I preferred to drop it off myself, because the frequent gale force winds would sometimes knock over the curbside bins and scatter recycles all over the neighborhood. The people in the house a the end of the street got very angry at us more than once when this happened. I can understand their frustration.

I liked the system that Madison, WI had when I lived there (a long time ago, so it's probably been changed?). You could put out unlimited amounts of recyclables for free. Trash had to be placed in special bags that were sold to be used specifically for that purpose. So each house paid an amount based on how much trash they put out. Seems quite fair for consumers, but probably a nightmare for the city to manage? Much easier for the city to collect a set amount from every address each month.
It was eliminated.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xeric View Post
Sadly, I asked the same question about water use when I arrived in 1982. The only real change that I've noticed is that people don't over-water their lawns as much as they used to.

In terms of transportation, Boulder was and is ahead of the curve for alternatives to single-occupancy auto transit. Denver and it's close in suburbs are also doing a good job in that respect. Most Colorado cities, however, are very auto-oriented (but then so is most of the country).

Most homes didn't have AC in the 1980s and now they do. So per-capita electricity use has risen. But newer homes are much more energy-efficient and in that respect per-capita energy use for heating has likely declined.

Colorado, is average when it comes to "greenness". But the per capita energy usage (in the US) and the per-capita water usage (in the West) is so high that average isn't anything to brag about.
I would agree with the bold, from what I've seen in other places. Even in Minnesota, people drive a lot, and in St. Paul, where my daughter lives, they don't seem to have curbside composting. Of course, they consider themselves a "national leader". https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/p...aste-reduction
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Old 08-15-2017, 03:46 PM
 
Location: Colorado Springs
3,959 posts, read 4,343,844 times
Reputation: 5267
IMO, CO has many, many more recyclers contributing to the waste stream than it has places willing to transform, process, and consume recycled materials. The excess gets shipped away to places that will use it, and that isn't free.

I'd also venture a guess that a percentage of coastal and mid-western transplants that move here because it is relatively less expensive for them could care less about the cost savings of using less water and they miss their lush greens, so they water away. Lacking significant state, county, or local regulations to counter such gross consumption, they could care less and plant bluegrass galore.
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Old 08-15-2017, 04:09 PM
 
9,868 posts, read 7,616,851 times
Reputation: 22118
Consider how many posters on C-D list "lots of greenery" as one of their requirements when looking for places in CO. They demand contradictory things (little or no snow, not cold, yet green all year, without having to water).

Then consider how many decide they will pay anything to have that greenery around their house, rather than picking a location/climate where it is not a constant battle to make things different from what naturally thrives.

I agree with the comment that CO is pretty average on recycling practices. But specific towns can be very supportive of "living green." Same goes for other states.

Think of all the little niceties that have become normalized but are wasteful. For example, drinking straws for beverages being consumed in the restaurant. Why? You can still drink from a glass with no straw. That one little plastic straw, multiplied by millions of people, multipled by the number of meals they use one, amounts to A LOT of plastic.

That's just one small example of ordinary items that Americans thoughtlessly use just because it is available at no charge.

Some things don't need to be substituted for; just don't use them, or use fewer of them. I am not going to buy an electric car or Prius. But I combine errands into one trip when possible, walk or bike, avoid gas-guzzling driving practices (leadfooting), and reuse almost all grocery bags, even the thin produce bags. We also bring acceptable items to be recycled, as this cuts our waste amount by about half. It appears that many people do, indeed, recycle, and we do not live in a Boulder type of town. Recycling has become more common over time, and hopefully will continue to do so.

Last edited by pikabike; 08-15-2017 at 04:24 PM..
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Old 08-15-2017, 04:18 PM
 
Location: The Woods
18,337 posts, read 26,389,566 times
Reputation: 11334
One look at the sprawl of the front range should dispel any myths about the place being "green." I've never seen worse sprawl and a total lack of any planning than in Denver. All the recycling in the world won't restore lost wildlife habitat there (though absolutely recycling is a good thing).
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Old 08-15-2017, 04:30 PM
 
26,135 posts, read 48,790,090 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arctichomesteader View Post
One look at the sprawl of the front range should dispel any myths about the place being "green." I've never seen worse sprawl and a total lack of any planning than in Denver. All the recycling in the world won't restore lost wildlife habitat there (though absolutely recycling is a good thing).
True, but if local/state government wanted to do serious planning, the "conservative" types would get out their tiki torches and goosestep in force through the streets protesting how the evil guv'mint has no business telling a man what he can do with his own land. These same people have ridiculed Boulder for decades for doing just that sort of planning; they love to call it the Peoples Republic of Boulder, etc. But what could be more "conservative" then protecting our land and assuring this limited resource is not squandered frivolously.
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Old 08-15-2017, 05:17 PM
 
7,827 posts, read 3,351,349 times
Reputation: 5141
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freak On a Leash View Post
For me, it's too hot in the front range. My daughter lives in Boulder and I sweat constantly while I'm there. Here at 10k feet I put the heat on some days. Air conditioning isn't an issue. I open the window but it rarely gets into the 80s.
Our home has three of the slim AC unit, but we rarely use them. We have an attic fan, which we run a few hours each night, then close all the window early in the morning and the house rarely rises above 72 degrees. We only need to use the AC a few weeks out of the year, really. To me, living along the Front Range is heaven in that respect compared to say the Midwest, where I grew up.
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Old 08-15-2017, 05:21 PM
 
Location: The analog world
17,077 posts, read 13,282,321 times
Reputation: 22904
I think communties vary. I live in a suburb of Denver, and it seems every other house in my neighborhood has sprouted solar panels (including mine), but trash day is evidence of a festival of consumerism. Two steps forward, one step back, I guess.
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Old 08-15-2017, 05:36 PM
 
Location: Wherabouts Unknown!
7,841 posts, read 18,947,321 times
Reputation: 9584
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike from back east View Post
But what could be more "conservative" then protecting our land and assuring this limited resource is not squandered frivolously.
YES! YES! YES! Unfortunately, the vast majority of so-called conservatives completely miss that point~
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Old 08-15-2017, 06:14 PM
 
8,426 posts, read 8,638,383 times
Reputation: 5598
I support immediate recycling of certain materials, especially hazardous wastes and aluminum. I don't care as much about things like glass. Paper is pretty marginal too at times. I wish there was more focus on reusable furniture, appliances, building materials, etc. Landfill waste separators may play more of a role over manual sorting into separate streams. In the long run I expect there will be landfill mining to recover metals & methane gas at least. New sites should probably plan ahead for it.

Last edited by NW Crow; 08-15-2017 at 06:24 PM..
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Old 08-15-2017, 06:38 PM
 
6,805 posts, read 10,447,368 times
Reputation: 8309
I've seen some articles on line about repairing becoming a thing again - moreso overseas than here so far - but they talked about having places where people could bring their broken stuff and work with volunteers or experts to learn and repair it themselves while there - mainly small appliances, wood furniture, various household goods. I'd like to see that here, too - I think a lot of people would enjoy it and it would help spread some knowledge that is increasingly being lost.
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