Local Recycling Options in Golden, CO
&
Golden Ridge Condos
While this page was originally created as a courtesy & guide for residents of Golden Ridge Condos, it has now become a point of reference for recycling to the Golden Colorado community as well. It has provides invaluable information for those truly wanting to recycle as much of their waste as possible. Please feel free to share with others who may not realize that they do have quite a few local recycling options available to them!
Just a few Trash Stats to keep in mind:
• The average person generates 4.5 pounds of waste per day.
• 80% of what we throw away can be recycled — only 28% actually gets recycled.
• 51 billion plastic bottles are consumed in the US alone — only 22% of those are recycled.
• The US alone produces 250 million tons or trash per year - enough to cover the state of Texas TWICE!
• Once you realize how much you can actually recycle, you'll be amazed at how little trash you'll have!
Onsite Recycle Bins Location at Golden Ridge Condos
Through the combined efforts of concerned residents, the Golden Ridge Condos HOA Board and Property Managment, Golden Ride Condos now has Onsite Co-mingled Recycling Bins available for it's residents!!
For those who did not have the means to get to recycling stations, now it's right in your backyard — literally!
2 large Waste Management Recycle Bins are located behind the Clubhouse and next to the Vollyball court in
However, DO NOT put them into the Bins in a plastic bag!
WIth Onsite Recycling now available, PLEASE DO YOUR PART AND RECYCLE!
Golden, CO Recycling Options:
Recycling glass, plastic bottles & containers, newspaper, cans, cardboard, junk mail & circulars, laundry bottles etc.
Many folks may not realize that Golden actually has a small Recycling Center located off of
Highway 93 & Golden Gate Canyon Road.
It's all co-mingled meaning YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SEPARATE plastic containers, bottles, cans, paper etc. However, DO NOT PUT THEM IN A PLASTIC BAG! Have a box or bin that you keep aside for all your recycled items.
Tip: Line the bottom of your box or bin with foil. That way it doesn't get all nasty.
Looking to recycle your plastic bags in Golden? The King Soopers has Plastic Bag Recycling Bins right at the front
of the store that you may use.
For other Recycling info you may also visit the City of Golden General Recycling & Disposal page.
They provide a list of options including Hazard Waste Disposal and Prescriptions/unused medications too.
NO, you DO NOT want to throw you unused meds down the toilet!!
Another option is Vitamin Cottage by Green Mountain. They have co-mingled recycling bins right in front of their store allowing you to drop off your recycles and do your grocery shopping all at the same time! All of their produce is Organic, and price wise generally less expensive than King Soopers for many healthy items!
Please Note: Vitamin Cottage is completely plastic bag & paper bag free so you'll need to bring your own bags or they have small boxes for you to use (they donate 5 cents to local community food banks).
Recycling your CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent)
It's no secret that incandescent bulbs are on their way out - likely being banned completely by 2012. CFL (the swirly looking bulbs) still contain small amounts of mercury making their disposal tricky. Home Depot actually offers recycling of CFL bulbs and is conveniently located close by at 16900 W Colfax Ave (about 2 miles from Golden Ridge Condos - off of Highway 6 & Colfax).
You may way to consider the new
heavy hitter: EcoSmart LED bulbs! Using 80% less energy and a life expectancy of 22 years or more — a viable option and the Home Depot sells them! Yes they come with a higher price tag at about $17-$20 per bulb. But with no toxic disposal issues and not having to change a lightbulb bulb for 20+ years - definitely something to consider.
Best Buy Electronics recycling
Your electronics DO NOT need to go into the dumpster or a landfill for that matter. Check out
Best Buy's "e-cycling" for electronics which
is actually available nationwide. Recycling options includes TVs, DVD players, computer monitors, audio and video cables, cell phones, and more. Most things are recycled absolutely free, with a few restrictions.
The closest store location in relation to Golden Ridge Condos is the
Best Buy in Denver West. It's about about 4 miles away.
Rooney Road Recycling Center at 151 South Rooney Rd.
also offers Electronic Waste recycling. Drop-off is by appointment. Call 303-316-6262.
A per item fee is charged to cover the cost of disposal.
Goodwill for good vibes
"One man's trash is another man's treasure." So before you take working items that you no longer want or use (like tables, desks or other furniture) and merely sticking them in the dumpster where they will ultimately wind up in a landfill, consider taking them down the road to the Goodwill Donation Center in Golden. They will gladly take these items off your hands where they can be re-purposed for others. They welcome donations including clothing, household items and more.
Another option to consider is donating your things to a shelter. With many folks facing hard times, donations to shelters have the potential to help people get back on their feet again. So it's another win win situation!
Target Recycling Stations in All Stores
In April 2010, Target began offerring New Recycling Stations to guests. "Located at the front of each store, the recycling stations offer guests a convenient way to recycle aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, plastic bags, MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges." For more information, please visit Target's recycling page. It gives more details to their current sustainability efforts.
There is a nearby Super Target located at Denver West in the Colorado Mills Mall at
14500 W Colfax Ave Lakewood, CO 80401 (about 3.5 miles from Golden Ridge Condos)
Please: NO MORE plastic water bottles!
Plastic Water bottles are by far some of the worst environmental offenders and they are everywhere! Last year the US alone went through 39 billion of them!! Consider purchasing a Brita Water Pitcher instead. Each Brita filter can eliminate 300 of those bottles. A much wiser choice! Also consider a Stainless Steel "BPA free" water bottle for daily use which you can refill with great tasting purified water. It helps to keep all those nasty plastic bottles out of our oceans and landfills!
The
disconnect between people and their trash is truly frightening. It's time more folks became aware of their waste - especially plastic!
Want a reality check of where your plastic is winding up? In the Pacific Garbage Patch and it's NOT pretty!!
Want more reasons to drink purified water?
Watch this eye-opening video on the Fluoride Deception!
The Fluoride in our water is actually a hazardous waste by-product!
Composting your kitchen scraps and fruit & veggie clippings
is a great way to keep even more trash out of landfills - not to mention getting nutrients back into sorely depleted soil. Currently there are few residential drop-off stations for food waste. Most are more industrial for restaurants etc. However, Boulder currently has one through Western Disposal and hopefully it is only a matter of time before there is one closer to Golden. As more info becomes available, it will be posted here.
If you are interested in composting, there are many great articles available on how to get started. You can even purchase a small compost bin and start right in your backyard. Your neighbors will likely want to contribute too!