Aspen’s Environmental Health and Sustainability Department has been hard at work reducing Aspen’s greenhouse-gas emissions through the Organic Waste Diversion ordinance. Last October, the ordinance went into effect to ensure all businesses within Aspen city limits with retail food licenses have been composting, donating, or disposing of organic waste instead of placing it within regular trash cans as had previously been accepted. And according to Waste Diversion and Recycling Administrator Ainsley Brosnan-Smith, since the program’s inception, it’s been nothing short of a complete success.
“It’s been very positive and exciting to see all the organic waste being diverted into these green bins, as opposed to them usually going in the trash,” she said. “The feedback we’ve been getting from managers is that it’s easier than recycling because if it’s food, then it goes in the green bin. I think a lot of employees feel good about it because they’re able to help make a change in their restaurants as it relates to their environmental impact. So it’s been really exciting for us to see that this ordinance is working so far.”
Over the last month, she and her team have been conducting site visits to the roughly 115 different restaurants throughout the Aspen area, which consists of checking to see if they need compostable bags, containers for the kitchens, outdoor containers, extra pickups, training, or any additional assistance. She said the plan is to continue with visits twice a year – once in the winter and once in the summer.