Posts tagged scrap metal
Less trash in them there Boulder County hills
0February 9, 2012
Mountain ‘zero waste’ project exceeds goals
Compost projects, new services increase diversion rate
Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County recently completed a “zero waste” project that more than doubled the composting and recycling rate in the communities of Allenspark, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Gold Hill, Jamestown, Lyons, Nederland and Ward.
After providing grants and technical assistance, and improving waste diversion opportunities in the participating areas, nearly a third of materials discarded by community residents and businesses were sent to new uses, rather than to the landfill.
The efforts exceeded the county’s goal of doubling the diversion rate. “The previous estimate was that only one-eighth of mountain discards were collected for reuse, composting or recycling,” Sustainability Planner Lisa Friend said. “We doubled the rate and kept on going up to more than 30 percent. It’s a marked improvement over past diversion efforts.”
To improve zero waste practices, Boulder County staff provided mountain residents and businesses with information about existing composting and recycling programs. Diversion opportunities were enhanced at annual cleanup events in the mountains, and new programs for diverting wood waste, metal and textiles were established. The BuildSmart program that encourages diversion of construction materials was tracked through this project – especially for new construction in areas affected by the Fourmile Canyon Fire.
Boulder County staff helped the Town of Nederland begin a new compost program and provided a “Zero Waste Events” workshop to the Town of Lyons, with support from that town’s Sustainable Future Commission. The outreach was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development program.
Supplemental grants, awarded by the county’s Resource Conservation Division, helped the communities secure recycling and composting equipment, including downtown recycling bins in Lyons and a process that enabled Nederland to install two “Earth Tubs” to enhance its compost efforts. Additional grants recently awarded for 2012 include new bear-proof compost bins for Eldorado Springs and additional zero waste containers in Nederland.
In 2011, the county measured recycling, reuse and composting of more than 1,140 tons of recyclable and compostable materials – including electronics, scrap metal, building materials and more – of an estimated 3,600 tons of “waste” produced in the eight communities. An additional 1,325 tons of wood and slash were also managed at the county’s Community Forestry Sort Yards and through special grants for chipping.
Though USDA funding for mountain outreach has ended, county staff will continue to provide zero waste assistance to mountain communities as requested, including a Zero Waste Events Planning workshop in Nederland this spring and development of a handout that details opportunities for recycling electronic equipment by mail. Resource Conservation Division recycling programs at the Allenspark, Lyons and Nederland transfer stations will continue, as will the annual spring cleanup program and a variety of options offered to mountain residents by Boulder County-based recycling and compost collection services.
For more information about Boulder County’s zero waste technical assistance programs, contact the Commissioners’ Office sustainability staff at 303-441-3522 or visit www.BoulderCounty.org/zerowaste.
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Boulder’s newest crime: catalytic converter theft
0January 23, 2012
Boulder police release photo of possible suspect in catalytic converter thefts
Boulder police are investigating a string of catalytic converter thefts that have taken place over the past few weeks and are releasing a photo of a potential suspect.
So far, the department has received reports of 16 thefts since Jan. 4. The thefts are occurring during the overnight hours in the area bordered by Colorado Avenue to the north, Table Mesa to the south, Broadway to the west and Manhattan Drive to the east.
The thief or thieves have been targeting SUVs and pick-up trucks, such as Toyota Tacomas, 4-Runners and Nissan Pathfinders, as well as one Honda Element. The suspect or suspects use saws to remove the catalytic converters, and can do so in many cases in less than one minute. The catalytic converters can be sold to scrap metal dealers, who extract precious metals (like platinum) from them.
The suspect in the attached photos is possibly involved in the case. He is seen in a Glendale King Soopers using a credit card that was stolen from one of the vehicles associated with the catalytic converter thefts.
The case number is 12-278.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or who has information about any of the catalytic converter cases is asked to contact Detective Kipp Euler at 303-441-3393. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
