Zero Waste Plan

Why is waste management important to sustainability in Broomfield?

For most people, “throwing away” a piece of trash seems like the end of the story, but a complex system of collection, distribution, reuse, and eventual disposal is only the beginning for a discarded item.

Each year, Broomfield produces more than 75,000 metric tons (MT) of solid waste and only 23% is diverted from landfills. This represents a significant environmental, public health and economic opportunity.

Landfill waste produces greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and impact our local air quality. Improperly disposed hazardous materials can threaten our water quality while representing an economic loss of valuable materials.

Today, we have opportunities for large-scale improvements in composting, commercial recycling, and changes in our construction and demolition waste management systems. By reducing the amount of waste we generate and maximizing the amount of materials diverted from landfills, we can conserve resources, create economic opportunities and improve the health of our community.

Summary

Sustainability is a focal point of social, economic, and environmental health in the City and County of Broomfield (CCOB) and waste diversion is a key element of Broomfield's sustainability strategy. The Zero Waste Action Plan (Executive Summary and Policy Summary) is the City's roadmap for achieving waste diversion goals that are consistent with efforts in neighboring peer communities and state-level goals.

Zero Waste starts with you!

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Planning Background & Goals

In 2020, Broomfield's City Council passed Resolution 2020-65, and local Ordinance 2096. These two foundational policies established zero waste as a priority, created a data tracking system for haulers, and set goals for the community of 50% diversion by 2025, and 100% diversion (or darn near!) by 2035.

In 2021, Broomfield initiated a strategic planning effort that included both GHG reduction and zero waste as key topics. As part of the planning effort, the outreach team conducted an extensive engagement process featuring 34 interviews with stakeholders, including nine large businesses, three school districts, 12 solid-waste haulers, and 10 local reuse and recycling establishments.

The draft Zero Waste Action Plan (available below) was released in January 2022, and the draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan (view project page here) was released in April 2022.

Click the image above to view the Zero Waste Action PlanZero Waste Action Plan

Focusing on high-impact strategies, the Zero Waste Action Plan outlines strategies that enable the City and County to take effective action toward reducing Broomfield's carbon footprint. This plan provides recommendations for a technically and financially feasible pathway to achieve the City and County of Broomfield’s waste diversion goals.

The plan is based on technical assistance provider research, national best practices, data analysis, input from the Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (ACES), stakeholder engagement, CCOB department feedback, and local market factors.

Different strategies will have different costs, benefits, and outcomes. In an environment with limited resources, it is necessary to prioritize actions to achieve the stated goals in the plan. In the near term, Broomfield will be focusing on six high-impact strategies (listed below) that are cost-effective, feasible with current technology, and leverage existing funding and other resources.

The Six High-Impact Strategies

STRUCTURAL CHANGES - TOTAL DIVERSION POTENTIAL: 29%

• Universal Collection (AKA Single Hauler): 7%
• Community Recycling and Composting Ordinance (AKA Pay as you Throw): 10%
• Construction, Deconstruction & Demolition Ordinance: 12%

EDUCATION AND STEWARDSHIP - TOTAL DIVERSION POTENTIAL: 12%

• Broomfield Lead by Example: 1%
• Technical Assistance: 4%
• Outreach & Education: 7%

To create a Broomfield where everyone can thrive tomorrow and for generations to come, it is necessary to invest today in the community’s sustainable future because a "business as usual" approach is no longer viable for social, environmental, and economic sustainability.

Please review the plan and leave your comments below.