ZGreen News - City of Aspen, Colorado

ZG reen N ews

… ta k i n g a c t i o n t o d ay f o r a g r e e n e r t o m o r r o w

C i t y o f A s p e n · C a n a r y I n i t i at i v e · E n v i r o n m e n ta l h e a lt h

February 2010 · Vol. 03 · Issue 2

Recycling… easier than you think Save money by reducing waste Businesses and residents: You’re already paying for it, so you might as well recycle. Under the City of Aspen’s recycling ordinance, both businesses and residents have recycling pickup included in the cost of their trash service… whether they recycle or not.

aspen

Universal Recycling Symbo

Freecycle

The City’s Residential Pay-as-You-Throw program charges households based on Give Symbol & get stuff… for free 1 Recycling the amount of non-recycled waste Universal they Searching forfor a piano? No longer want (Used as a generic symbol recycling generate. Customers who switch to a smaller your TV? Log on onto Aspen’s or to indicate that material is recyclable) bin will pay less for their trash pickup. Freecycle.org group to find items 2 (Continued on page 2.) valleywide – from Aspen to Rifle. Items on the exchange are available for free. 3 Black Universal Recycling Symbol

Recycling guidelines

Businesses • Separate and recycle all four commodities: cardboard, co-mingled containers, office paper, and newspapers/magazines • Haulers must pick up recycling as often as necessary to prevent overflow (included in service) Business recycling guidelines

Single-family residences • Separate and recycle two commodities: co-mingled containers and newspapers/magazines • Save money: Produce less trash, recycle more (Pay-as-YouThrow program, see above) Single-family residence recycling guidelines

Multi-family residences

Do your “green-search” 4 Before making big purchases, check these websites

5

Save energy and money by doing Recycled Paper Symbol a bit of research • Separate and recycle (Used to indicate 100% recycledbefore buying bigall four commodities:paper content)ticket items, such as new cars or office equipment. For electronics, visit the 6 cardboard, co-mingled EPA Assessment Tool, www.epeat.net. containers, office paper and GreenerChoices.org can help you 7 newspapers/magazines make sense of manufacturers’ claims • Haulers must pick up about appliances, cars, electronics and recycling as often asPartially-Recycled Paper Symbol food and beverages. For a green vehicle necessary to prevent(Percentage of recycled paper guide, log onor to the Environmental content indicated in overlay overflow (included in service) Protection Agency’s site: next to this symbol) Multi-family recycling www.epa.gov/greenvehicles. guidelines

Keep your fridge efficient

Courtesy of Heather Castles www.illustrationcastle.com

Ozone monitor up and running Monitor allows officials to determine risk, source of harmful pollutant Acknowledging Aspen’s risk for elevated ozone levels, the City of Aspen began monitoring ground-level ozone in December to determine if levels of the harmful gas are safe. At ground level, ozone is detrimental to human health. It can trigger chest pain, coughing and congestion, and can worsen asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. Aspen’s active population is particularly susceptible to its effects as are the

Pitkin County’s high percentage of people with asthma. The air pollutant also damages crops, trees and other vegetation. While urban areas tend to have higher ozone levels, Aspen Mountain recorded the highestever level on the Western Slope in the summer of 2007 with a concentration level of 79 parts per billion (ppb). (Continued on page 2.)

New for 2010: Click on a globe or any website address to go directly to the links!

Check the seal. Make sure it’s air-tight: Close the door on one half of a dollar bill. If it pulls out easily when you tug on it, replace the seal. Clean and stock. Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator twice a year, and move it away from heat sources such as ovens and heat vents. Keeping it full of food also allows it to use less energy, just be sure to leave enough room between items for air to circulate freely.

www.AspenZGreen.com

Recycl (

Recycl (

Recycl (

Recycl (

Recycl (

Recycl (

Recycl (

Recycl ( l b

Green

ZGreen news is brought to you by:

Events Calendar

February 16 · 5:30 pm Presentation: “Keeping the Canary Alive: Aspen Goes Green” Wheeler/Stallard Museum Join the City’s Canary Initiative and Environmental Health departments and the Aspen Historical Society for a discussion about Aspen’s green initiatives, the future and what we can do to help. For more info, visit www.aspenhistory.org or call (970) 925-3721. February 23 & 25 Guided snowshoe hikes Aspen Join the Roaring Fork Conservancy and Pitkin County Open Space. Feb. 23: Emma Open Space, Basalt. Feb. 25: Northstar Open Space, Aspen. Free, registration required. Call (970) 927-1290. www.roaringfork.org Ongoing Courses: Colorado Mountain College Upcoming courses: LEED Green Associate Prep Course and Building Performance Institute Analyst Training. For a complete course listing and to register, visit www.coloradomtn.edu. Ongoing, Thursdays · 7:30 pm (January - March) Naturalist Nights Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Learn from wildlife experts and ecologists about the natural world through slideshows and discussions. For more info, www.aspennature.org Radon test kits (Free!) Radon test kits are still available for City of Aspen residents and businesses. Pick one up at the Environmental Health Department (second floor of City Hall).

www.AspenZGreen.com

For more information: Contact the departments and programs that have taken the lead in

protecting Aspen’s environment and our quality of life. Canary Initiative: [email protected] · www.aspenglobalwarming.com

Aspen Canary Initiative

Aspen Canary

Aspen ZGreen: [email protected] · www.aspenzgreen.com

Aspen ZGreen

AspenZGreen

·

Utilities Energy Efficiency: [email protected]

www.aspenpitkin.com/energyefficiency

·

Utilities renewable energy: [email protected]

www.aspenpitkin.com/departments/utilities/renewables Environmental Health: [email protected]

www.aspenpitkin.com/departments/environmental-health

Recycling

Ozone monitor

Continued from page 1.

Continued from page 1.

Hauling companies are required to pick up recycling for businesses and commercial properties as often as is necessary to prevent overflow – at no additional charge. Cardboard bin overflowing? Call your waste hauler and establish a pickup schedule that works for you.

The concentration exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) acceptable level for the gas of 75 ppb. In Aspen, ozone is likely a result of oil and gas drilling in the region and motor vehicle exhaust and gasoline vapors.

For more info, visit the City’s Recycling webpage. Signs for recycling bins – in English and Spanish – are available on the website.

Located near the intersection of Highway 82 and Cemetery Lane, the City’s ozone monitor will help determine if levels in the Aspen area are below EPA’s standard of 75 ppb, an analysis that will require three years of data. In the nearterm, if levels approach the EPA standard, staff will take action by cross referencing weather, traffic and oil and gas data in light of the new monitor’s results. This information will allow officials to determine what actions, if any, are needed to reduce ozone levels.

Questions about recycling? Contact Ashley Cantrell at [email protected] or 429-1798.

The monitoring system is designed to provide real-time ozone readings on an hourly basis. Data will be used for local, regional and state air quality analysis and planning. Tips: Ways to Reduce Ozone For more info, visit the City’s Clean Air webpage or contact Jannette Whitcomb at [email protected].