Colorado initiative aims to help local recycling programs

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment's Front Range Waste Diversion (FRWD) program is piloting a new model to help advance communities up what it calls the "zero-waste ladder," and its board is seeking proposals from qualified applicants for Phase 2 of its Technical Assistance Service Provider (TASP) program.

According to FRWD, the consultant will provide technical assistance to local governments that have an interest in establishing a new recycling program or expanding an existing recycling program for postconsumer and commercial solid waste in Colorado.

Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Friday, July 1, with detailed instructions provided here.

The FRWD program provides grants and technical assistance to Colorado's Front Range communities to increase recycling, composting and waste reduction. The FRWD enterprise consists of the FRWD board of directors and program administrative staff at CDPHE. Its current three-year strategic plan identifies goals in three focus areas: data collection and analysis, municipal solid waste, including organics and recycling, and nonmunicipal solid waste, focusing on construction and demolition debris.

The program and enterprise fund was approved by the Colorado state legislature in 2019 and collects funds from an increase in user fees at Front Range landfill to provide grants and technical assistance to increase recycling, composting and waste reduction.