Boulder, CO Diversion Rate = 51%

Severe wildfires between 2010 and 2012 and a flood in 2013 devastated Boulder. For the city, stemming environmental crises has become non-negotiable.

Boulder does not advertise that it wants to become a “circular economy” – instead, it is trying to frame the move in terms of more tangible issues, such as open space, affordability and mobility.

The city adopted its first zero waste plan in 2006, expressing the belief that:

“A true zero waste system is cyclical, like nature: everything we produce, consume and dispose of eventually goes back to feed the larger system at the end of its useful life.”

Today, less than half of Boulder’s waste ends up in landfills, making its waste diversion program one of the most successful in the U.S.

This success has been made possible by Boulder’s Zero Waste Strategic Plan, which outlines three priorities:

• Develop the infrastructure to provide recycling services across all sectors
• Improve streams through targeting
• Reduce per-capita waste generation

Boulder depends heavily on its relationships with outside stakeholders to foster the local circular economy. For instance, the city government works closely with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce to improve outreach to the local business community and emphasize co-creation

Additionally, in 2017, the city convened the Task Force on the Circular Economy in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder. Boulder has an agreement with the university to research sustainability initiatives and the development of a fully circular economy.

Although these partnerships have been invaluable, the city still struggles with per-capita waste reduction.

To address this, Boulder adopted its Universal Zero Waste Ordinance. The ordinance stipulates that all properties, commercial and residential, must recycle and compost. Furthermore, recycling and composting receptacles must be made available at any special events.

The city also uses negative reinforcement, such as assessing fees on all disposable paper and plastic bags distributed at grocery stores and levying a trash tax on haulers throughout the city. This revenue is used to fund Boulder’s waste reduction efforts.

What’s next for Boulder? Generating new materials from 85% of its waste by 2025. It’s ambitious, but Boulder is nothing if not bold.