Fort Collins Votes on Ordinance to Ban Throwing Cardboard in Trash Reports Seattle Dumpster Rental

San Francisco, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/20/2013 -- It will soon be a rule that tossing cardboard into the trash will essentially be an offense in Fort Collins. The City Council gave the initial approval to an ordinance that will prohibit disposal of any corrugated cardboard through any of the garbage outlets. The ban will apply to residents and businesses alike.

If the measure passes on the final reading, then its requirements to recycle cardboard would be the first of its kind in Colorado, though other cities across the country have already enacted such measure, says a city official.

The goal of the ordinance is the regulate a reduction of the total amount of cardboard that ends up in the local landfills. Nearly 12,000 tons of cardboard is said to be generated each year in Fort Collins, while only 4,200 tons of it ends up recycled, according to environmental planner Susie Gordon. A 33% recycling rate is certainly not something the city can be proud of.

“There is a lot of cardboard out there,” Gordon told council members. “It is very recyclable, but it’s ending up in the landfill.”

The landfill itself could benefit from the exclusion of cardboard from its premises. Bulky cardboard takes up significant space, and paper/cardboard items take up nearly 35% of the material that is within the landfill.

A ban on the throwing out of cardboard might also benefit For Collins by way of meeting its goal of diverting half of its generated trash from the city landfills, as was stated in previous environmental plans.

“If we have the plans we ought to actually implement them,” said Mayor pro tem Kelly Ohlson, who is a longtime supporter of recycling.

A 5-2 vote in favor of the ban passed with Wade Troxell and Aislinn Kottwitz standing in opposition. Both stated that they desired more information regarding the proposal, including specifics on the enforcement of the ordinance.

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