The Garden Club of Denver Conservation Committee visited the Boulder County Recycling Center (BCRC) on February 25, 2026. We had a tour of the facility hosted by Chandra Valenza, Community Outreach Manager, to see up close how the sorting process works from start to finish. Chandra also guided us through the various exhibits detailing the dos and don’ts of recycling. Then we all enjoyed lunch afterward at Fringe.
During the tour, we learned that the BCRC processes over 60,000 tons annually, with a 100,000-ton capacity. The facility uses advanced technology, including optical sorters (added 2017) and AI-powered robots (added 2020) to enhance sorting accuracy.
Of the materials it receives, 88% to 90% are successfully diverted from the landfill and sold. Boulder County has a 38% overall diversion rate (significantly higher than the 15.8% state average). We can do better Denver!
Included below is her follow up information as well as a flyer on the recycling guidelines for City and County of Denver.
The Boulder County Recycling Center website has the A-Z guide as well as a lot of other helpful links.
The Recycle Row webpage has information about the other waste diversion opportunities we have in the area.
Here is a Podcast about the recycling symbol.
Here is information on Arvada’s Hard to Recycle facility, SustainAbility
Here is information on Producer Responsibility from CDPHE
Here is the State of Recycling & Composting in Colorado report from EcoCycle and CoPIRG.
-Story and photos by Paula S. and Lynn B.
