§ 25-17-702 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 25-17-702

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 25: Public
• Art.: Waste Diversion and Recycling

Text

(1) The general assembly finds and
declares that:

(a) Recycling has a positive impact on the environment and public health by
saving energy, conserving natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions;

(b) Recycling has a positive benefit on Colorado's economy, with the
recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse industries affecting eighty-six thousand jobs
in Colorado and contributing over eight billion dollars in economic benefits
annually;

(c) In 2020, Colorado only recycled fifteen percent of its waste, which is less
than half of the national average;

(d) Colorado is not on track to meet the statewide recycling and waste
diversion goals that the pollution prevention advisory board assistance committee
adopted in 2016 and set forth in an integrated solid waste and materials
management plan;

(e) There can be negative environmental, social, economic, and health
impacts in the production, consumption, and end-of-use management of consumer
products and packaging across their life cycles;

(f) All parties have the obligation to share in the responsibility to reduce
negative impacts of end-of-use management for covered materials by building a
system designed to minimize waste and to increase reuse and recycling of products
and packaging; and

(g) A producer responsibility program in Colorado would:

(I) Establish a centralized system for managing recycling in the state that is
funded through annual producer responsibility dues paid by the producers of
covered materials;

(II) Establish a clear and uniform statewide list of readily recyclable
materials;

(III) Provide a sustainable funding mechanism for recycling services and
recycling infrastructure across all areas of Colorado;

(IV) Promote the increased use of readily recyclable materials in new
products and packaging;

(V) Encourage producers to design and manage covered materials to prevent
or minimize their negative environmental, social, economic, and health impacts;

(VI) Be managed by an independent nonprofit organization that consults with
an advisory board of recycling experts and would be overseen by the department;

(VII) Invest in recycling end-market development and innovations that could
attract new businesses to Colorado and create a more resilient domestic supply
chain; and

(VIII) Leverage existing recycling systems and infrastructure by working with
both public and private service providers.

(2) The general assembly therefore declares that it is in the public interest of
Colorado to require producers to finance a producer responsibility program that
provides statewide recycling services for covered materials.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2022: Entire part added, (HB 22-1355), ch. 337, p. 2389, � 1, effective August 10. L. 2024: IP(1) and (1)(d) amended, (HB 24-1449), ch. 192, p. 1130, � 6, effective July 1.