Waste Diversion

It’s a common frustration—we’ve all heard the cynical rumors that our carefully sorted recycling just ends up in a landfill. However, when it comes to the work being done by us at GARNA, the reality is much more transparent and grounded in hard evidence.

Boots on the Ground Verification:

GARNA’s Sustainability Coordinator doesn’t just take a contractor’s word for it. She has personally conducted on-site facility tours at the regional Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) where our waste is processed.

By seeing the machinery and the sorting lines in action, she has verified:

• The Sorting Process: How optical sorters and manual teams separate plastics, aluminum, and paper.
• Market Viability: That the sorted “bales” of materials are being sold to actual manufacturers to be turned into new products.
• Contamination Management: How the facility handles non-recyclables to ensure the “good stuff” stays clean and valuable.

Why It’s Not a “Scam”

The “recycling is a scam” narrative often stems from global shifts in plastic markets, but local efforts are different. Here is why you can trust the process in our community:

• Verified Chain of Custody: We track where our materials go. If it wasn’t being recycled, the cost to “fake it” would actually be higher for the facilities than simply processing it correctly.
• Economic Value: Items like aluminum cans and clean cardboard have high market value. Throwing them away would be like throwing away raw materials for a profit-driven business.
• Resource Conservation: Every ton of glass or paper captured at these facilities directly reduces the need for virgin mining and logging.

“I’ve put my ‘boots on the ground’ and seen these facilities for myself. The sorting process is actually pretty impressive and being done on a much larger scale than I ever imagined. The recyclable material is being sorted into high-quality bales of material ready for reuse. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t ask you to do it.” — GARNA Sustainability Coordinator

How You Can Help:

The system only works if the “input” is high quality. To support the work being done at these facilities, remember:

1. Empty, Clean, and Dry: Rinse out those containers and jars! Make sure items are 90% clean and if you can’t get it cleaned enough, toss it.
2. When in Doubt, Throw it Out: “Wish-cycling” (putting non-recyclables in the bin hoping they’ll be recycled) actually hurts the process & creates more, unnecessary work.
3. Don’t bag your recycling! Plastic bags cause equipment jams at the facility—keep your recyclables loose.
4. Follow this Chaffee County Recycling Guide