Each month, we will highlight community heroes that are making a difference in their communities and working to make their local environments cleaner and healthier.
This month, we are taking a look at EverGreen ZeroWaste in CO!
EverGreen ZeroWaste is a residential, commercial, and event composting service based in CO. They partner with nearby commercial composting facilities, also known as industrial composting facilities, to keep your natural materials out of the landfill. Biobag Associate spoke to Elisabeth Richardsen with EverGreen ZeroWaste about the organization. Their interview is transcribed below.
What led you to start your composting operation?
EverGreen ZeroWaste started from a mix of passion and practicality in 2010. When our co-founders moved from Boulder to Carbondale, CO, they missed having access to curbside compost collections and the benefits of an industrial composting facility. That personal gap—paired with a growing demand for compost collection services across residential, commercial, and municipal sectors in the region—sparked the idea. They were young, driven and eager to improve local systems using the knowledge and experience they’d gained from Colorado’s recycling industry during their time working at Eco-Cycle in Boulder, CO.
Who do you serve and how can people get in touch with you if they want to start composting?
We serve residential and commercial customers throughout Colorado’s Central Mountain region—specifically Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs and from Vail west through Avon, Edwards, Eagle, New Castle to Rifle. Our Zero Waste event services focus primarily on the Roaring Fork Valley and our outreach efforts have helped inspire similar composting programs across Colorado and beyond. If you're interested in signing up for compost collection services with us, you can sign up directly at evergreenzerowaste.com, give us a call 970.930.7900, or send us an email [email protected].
How much organic material do you typically take in on a weekly basis?
The amount of organic material we collect each week varies with the seasons and local events. Warmer months bring more yard waste, Zero Waste events, and increased tourism. Winter is also busy due to the holidays and ski season. Until the end of 2023, we averaged around 153 tons of organic material per month. However, after Aspen passed an ordinance requiring commercial kitchens to divert food waste, our monthly average jumped by 77% to 271 tons. During 2024 we collected a total of 3,255 tons of organic material—including curbside residential pickups, commercial collections, Zero Waste events and large-scale community yard waste drop-offs.
Feel free to add any additional information about your operation as you see fit.
EverGreen ZeroWaste is a woman-owned, locally operated business and a certified Public Benefit Corporation. We’re proud to be a small team, driven by community values and a commitment to sustainability. In 2019, EverGreen ZeroWaste was voted the State of Colorado’s Recycler of the Year—an award that reflects the passion and hard work we bring to composting and waste diversion every day.
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