The Pitkin County Landfill is a presenting partner with the 5Point Film Festival in Aspen this month. The show will take place on January 21st at the Wheeler Opera House. The event features ten adventure films and special guests. The landfill’s involvement with 5Point comes during a major landfill public outreach effort to educate the community about recycling, reusing, and even refusing non-recyclable objects to extend the life of the landfill and improve the local environment. 5Point has a legacy of supporting and protecting the environment and Pitkin County Landfill believes that it aligns with its mission as it works to educate people on the importance of recycling.
“We believe the 5Point audience will be very receptive to our message,” said Landfill Manager, Cathy Hall. “We’ve already had a fantastic response to our new textile and food waste recycling programs and we never cease to amaze folks unfamiliar with the landfill with other programs we provide including compost and landscaping materials for sale, our construction waste to wood chips for sale, and our drop and swap area, among other programs” Hall said.
The Pitkin County Landfill, located off Highway 82 just north of Aspen Village, has approximately 14 years of life left at its current rate of unrecyclable garbage burying before it fills to capacity and must be closed. When that eventuality occurs it will mean that Pitkin County will have to transport its garbage and waste to a distant landfill at significant cost.
Food waste is the largest category by weight that is landfilled in Pitkin County. This material creates landfill gas, consumes valuable space, and could be turned into Pitkin County Compost. Fourteen hundred tons of textiles end up in the trash at the landfill annually accounting for 4.3% of the waste stream in addition to nearly 800 tons of single use plastic bottles in 2015 alone. Since its inception in mid-November 2016 the landfill’s new textile recycling program has collected 8,000 pounds of clothing, linens and footwear for reuse and recycling.
“It’s the first time in the history of our landfill that we’ve collected things like mattresses, clothing, and shoes that are either being found new homes or are totally recycled. We think the 5Point crowd will appreciate the work we’re doing and choose to participate with us,” Hall said.