Colorado is Behind in Recyling Plastic

Colorado Springs from Cheyenne Mountain.

I’ve written previously about the UK’s approach to plastic waste, but I wanted to look more into what Colorado has been doing about this crisis.

Before I do, I think it’s interesting to look at the geographic differences between Colorado and the UK. Great Britain is an island surrounded by water and almost 94,000 square miles in land area, while Colorado is more than 104,000 square miles and entirely landlocked. Because of this, these places have very different relationships with plastic in the ocean.

There is not currently a governmental effort in Colorado on a federal or state level to reduce plastic waste. In fact, it is one of the most wasteful states in the country, only recycling 12 percent of its waste (compared to the national rate of 34 percent and Britain’s 43 percent).

I think this has a lot to do with proximity. People in Colorado don’t really see how much plastic ends up in the ocean.

But there are movements calling for a more serious approach to our plastic footprint: Environment Colorado is pushing for a statewide ban of Styrofoam, one of the worst plastics for the environment.

Comparing my experience of recycling in the UK to that in Colorado shows me just how far behind the state is in environmental protection. It’s definitely something that needs to become a priority.