YOUR AD HERE »

Summit County may pay trash haulers to expand recycling for residents and businesses as part of new program next year

Multi-pronged subsidy program aims to offset costs of pay-as-you-throw and universal recycling for lower-income families

A waste management vehicle is seen in Dillon on Oct. 22, 2022. Summit County officials, coming on the heels of the towns of Frisco and Breckenridge, are looking to roll out a pay-as-you-throw and universal recycling program in 2024.
Liz Copan/Summit Daily News archive

As Summit County government officials look to roll out their own version of pay-as-you-throw and universal recycling, they’re working out details on just how much to subsidize the service for lower-income households. 

The programs, which have already been adopted in the towns of Frisco and Breckenridge, seek to curb waste while expanding opportunities for recycling. Pay-as-you-throw, aimed at residents, charges more for larger trash bins, while universal recycling, aimed at businesses and homeowners’ associations, requires on-site recycling collection. 

Taken together, officials say it could extend the life of the county landfill and help meet the countywide goal of doubling the current waste diversion rate to 40% by 2035. 



If approved by the Summit County Board of County Commissioners, it would go into effect for unincorporated parts of the county in 2024. 

“It’s important for us to keep moving forward on pay-as-you-throw and (universal recycling) so that the haulers have plenty of time to address it for next year,” said Sarah Wilkinson, the county’s community impact manager, during a commissioners’ meeting Tuesday, Aug. 1.



In an effort to mitigate costs on residents, county officials are proposing a multi-pronged subsidy program similar to ones in Frisco and Breckenridge. 

In both towns, residents who downsize from a 96-gallon trash bin, or who are adding new recycling containers, can see the costs associated with that covered by rebates. The county’s program would pay trash haulers up to $45 for each residency that requests smaller bins or new recycling containers. 

The county would also pay haulers to offset the costs of residents who see an increase in their trash collection service six months after pay-as-you-throw and universal recycling goes into effect. Unlike in Frisco and Breckenridge, where residents must first downsize their bins to be eligible for assistance, the county would not require downsizing. 


Be more informed in 2025.

Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at SummitDaily.com/newsletter


The county would support households making up to 120% of the area median income, while in Frisco and Breckenridge the assistance is capped at households making 80%. The assistance also applies to households that receive help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or other similar federal benefits. 

Renters could also benefit, as long as they meet the same income requirements. Instead of those subsidies going to haulers, it would be paid to landlords in order to prevent those extra costs being passed on to residents. Renters would have to provide documentation that shows their rent is increasing because of the recycling programs, county officials said. 

Both the homeowner and renter subsidies would be for a year, though a six-month extension could be requested. 

Finally, a grant for up to $2,500 could be paid to commercial organizations and multifamily housing developments struggling to purchase recycling containers or build necessary infrastructure for those containers. 

A county analysis estimates the downsizing rebates could cost $50,000, homeowner and renter assistance could cost $75,000 and commercial assistance could cost $50,000. 

Applying for the subsidies would also require a consultation with the High Country Conservation Center on ways to reduce waste. 

“We’re trying to help people learn more, that’s the whole point of this,” Wilkinson said. “We don’t want to be subsidizing trash forever, but we do want to give people enough time to make changes.”

Commissioners, while supportive of the assistance plans, were conflicted over how it would be implemented, particularly with regard to renters. 

“It’s one of the trickiest parts of this potential program,” said Commissioner Josh Blanchard. “I am concerned about folks who may not have a long-term lease. … I’m also concerned about not having a cap on what this could look like. Not to assume that landlords would take advantage of this county program, but it really should be tied back to what they are being charged. 

“We might want to have some guardrails in terms of what the maximum amount could be,” he added. 

Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence said, “the details are really tough on this one,” adding she would support a benefit cap of $50 per month for each applicant. Lawrence also said she wanted to see the commercial grant assistance increased from $2,500 to $5,000.

Commissioner Tamara Pogue said she was most favorable to the renter assistance proposal, adding, “I do think there are going to be some unique challenges that landlords have in implementation.” 

Pogue added that a cap on benefits “is reasonable,” but said she wants that to be reviewed every three months in case it needs to be adjusted. 

Commissioners are slated to continue discussing the details of pay-as-you-throw and universal recycling in September with a final plan presented for approval by early 2024.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.