Denver Public Works Solid Waste Management Partners with
Denver Public Schools to Provide Trash and Recycling Services
Partnership will result in significant efficiencies for both agencies
DENVER, CO — September 9, 2009 — Mayor John Hickenlooper and Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent Tom Boasberg announced today the formation of a partnership where Denver Public Works Solid Waste Management (SWM) will provide trash collection services to all Denver Public Schools. In addition, Denver Recycles, a program of Solid Waste Management, will roll out a district-wide school recycling effort over the next year.
The formation of this partnership is another example for how Denver and DPS employees are working to cut costs and gain efficiencies in the services they provide. DPS will pay the City for collection services, and through this agreement DPS will be able to defer the purchase of new garbage trucks and save on operational costs, saving several hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next five years. Denver Solid Waste Management will generate revenue for this service and gain collection efficiencies since many schools will become part of existing residential trash collection routes.
“This is a good example of how the City is working with the school district to find ways to make programs and services more efficient,” said Mayor Hickenlooper. “Our children have an added benefit of being able to participate in the same recycling program at school as they can at home, thus creating consistent knowledge of recycling that will help us in our effort to build a more sustainable city.”
In addition to trash collection services, Denver Recycles will begin rolling out recycling collection services to all schools during the 2009-2010 school year. The recycling collection service will be complemented by an education and outreach program designed for DPS students. Recycling will also provide collection efficiencies and present schools with the ability to reduce the amount of waste disposed from their facilities, thus reducing landfill disposal costs. Solid Waste Management will in turn generate revenue on the sale of the recyclables, lowering its cost to provide service to DPS.
“We are very excited to be rolling out a district wide recycling program that will allow our children to have hands-on experience doing their part to create a more sustainable community and school district,” said DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “This program is one of many operational cost-savings initiatives the district is aggressively pursuing to help mitigate the impact of current and planned funding reductions from the state.”
Trash collection operations began last week and the recycling program will roll out to approximately 15 schools each month. The recycling program implementation will be enhanced by an education program for teachers, facility managers and students through school assemblies, fact sheets and teacher curriculum.
For more information, call Solid Waste Management through
3-1-1 or visit online at
Recycling in Schools.