The ordinance mandates that C&D projects with a disturbance area of 2,000 square feet or more must divert 100 percent of all recoverable materials from the Pitkin County Landfill and Solid Waste Center. This measure is expected to result in the salvaging of thousands of tons of reusable materials, say city officials. The Aspen City Council approved the ordinance in its first reading on December 17.

This ordinance is part of the city's broader initiative to achieve a 63 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and to cut landfill waste by 70 percent by 2050. According to the report, about 16 percent of Aspen's annual greenhouse gas emissions come from waste generated at the landfill. Ainsley Brosnan-Smith, the city's waste diversion and recycling program administrator, states that more than half of the material in the landfill is C&D debris. Of this, more than half is considered salvageable and reusable locally, she adds.

Under the new rules, qualifying C&D projects will need to recycle all recoverable materials, which include concrete, porcelain, organics, asphalt, corrugated cardboard, rock, dirt, untreated lumber, pallets, metal appliances, and scrap metal—items that the landfill can accept for recycling.

The council will review the ordinance again at its January 13 meeting. If approved, it will be implemented within 30 days of the meeting.