Sustainable Ways - High Country Recycling
PO Box 672
Westcliffe, CO 81252
highcountryrecycling@gmail.com
HIGH COUNTRY RECYCLING
In 2006 a couple of residents and a local business owner met at a Sustainable Ways community meeting. The group focused on the lacking local recycling opportunities. Over time the group's membership grew. They adopted the name High Country Recycling, created a mission, a goal and four objectives.
MISSION
To be a comprehensive, successful program that supports individual, business and governmental practices that reduces waste, promotes reuse and advances recycling throughout Custer County.
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
GOAL:To be a role model for rural communities within & outside of Colorado.
OBJECTIVES: Promote Community Involvement
Educate & Raise Awareness
Expand Options
Role Model Zero Waste
HCR'S 2023 GOALS
PURSUE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AFFORDABLE & SUSTAINABLE GLASS BOTTLE RECYCLING
ESTABLISH PAPER COLLECTION TRAILERS AT THE RECYCLE ROUND UP & CANS FOR CANINES
CREATE A NEW CARDBOARD, PAPER & CANS DROP OFF SITE
REPLACE SINGLE USE PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS WITH REUSABLE & WASHABLE BAGS
WHERE DO WE MEET & WHEN?
HCR meets monthly on the 4th Monday of the month at 9:30am in the Welcome Center on 3rd Street
in Westcliffe. We are an all volunteer organization operating under Sustainable Ways, Inc 501 (C) 3.
To contact us - email highcountryrecycling@gmail.com or 719-371-0005.
The HCR Advisory Board operates under Sustainable Ways, Inc and consists of our officers
Joanie Liebman, Steve Tappe, Gina Mallory and members Debbie Adams, Lisa Kaufman, Steve Lasswell, Mike Liebman, Kathy Reis
OUR HISTORY
2007
- CC Bobcats 5th grade students initiated a district wide weekly paper recycling
collection program with HCR volunteers. HCR donated classroom/office paper recycling bins.
- Established a monthly plastic recycling drop off with volunteers transporting all
to a recycling vendor in Salida.
2009 - 2010
-Secured 50 gallon barrels to be used at nor cost as recycling collection containers at
public and private events.
- The 4-H youth refurbished and painted the barrels with supplies and tools provided by HCR.
- Received two CO Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) grant awards for a used cardboard baler, construction of a Waste Minimization Facility at the County Landfill, a
part-time employee and solar panels to provide electricity previously unavailable. HCR volunteers built the facility with cardboard bales as walls/insulation with the top tier being plastic bales. This stucco building is currently used as the landfills 1st heavy equipment garage.
2010 - 2022
- A group of dedicated and committed volunteers sort and bale cardboard several days a week.
2012 - 2020
- Hosted an annual Mobile Record Shredder successful community wide event which sadly shut down due to COVID and is no longer available.
2020 - 2022
- Partnered with Dundee Memorial Dog Park to save local aluminum/steel can recycling when
all but cardboard and plastic recycling shut down in the county. HCR purchased two horse trailers for drop off collection in the park expanding their Cans for Canines project. This was the birth of
HCR's temporary Check'em, Sort'em Bag'em project that included volunteers hauling and selling
the cans in Penrose with the proceeds given to Dundee Memorial Dog Park.
Joanie Liebman, HCR Chairperson, Tom Flower, County Commissioner, Wilson Jarvis, CC Economic Development member,Steve Tappe, HCR Member, Brian Lockhart, CC Landfill Manager Brian Lockhart and Mike Liebman, WMV Rotarian formed a Custer County Recycles which received a CDPHE grant award that established the new Joanie Liebman Recycling Center at the Landfill, with a new multi-purpose baler for cardboard,