Case Studies
Single-Stream Recycling success in Denver
With help from Waste Management, Denver moved to single-stream recycling. The results are so positive, the project reached full implementation three years early.
In 2005, the City of Denver decided to switch from its current, cumbersome recycling program to a single-stream approach. As this plan was to be an investment in the future, it was to be phased in over five years. Initially, 12,000 containers were placed during the first phase.
The initial response was phenomenal. The city soon became inundated with calls from residents wanting to participate in the new, easier program. The Mayor and the Manager of Public Works worked to speed up funding and the city was able to complete the program by the end of 2006 - three years early.
Since the introduction of single-stream, collected tons of recyclable materials in Denver have grown substantially. In 2004, the last full year of Denver's dual-stream program, 16,000 tons were collected. In 2006, the amount jumped to 22,000 tons. And in 2007, we collected and recycled nearly 26,000 tons.
To learn more about Recycling, click here.
