DURANGO, Colo. - La Plata County residents are encouraged to recycle scrap metal during the weeks of September 29 and October 6, in conjunction with the City of Durango’s Fall Cleanup and at area solid waste disposal sites.

Items to be accepted include anything that is primarily metal: appliances, piping, fencing materials, window/door/bed frames, bicycles, lawnmowers, BBQ grills, pots and pans, wire, chain and more. The effort also includes a special refrigerator recycling program.

Within the City of Durango, during the week of September 29, scrap metal will be collected curbside from residents located west of the Animas River. The following week of October 6, scrap metal will be collected from residents east of the river. This metal collection will be done prior to Fall Cleanup and items must be placed out on the appropriate Monday in a separate pile from other waste.

September 29 through October 11, scrap metal can also be dropped off for recycling free-of-charge at the Durango Transfer Station, located at 790 Tech Center Drive, Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm and Saturday from 10am-1pm.

Further, metal scrap will be collected at the Bayfield Convenience Center, the Marvel Convenience Center and the Bondad Landfill. These three locations will continue to accept metal for recycling year-round. Operating hours are:

·        Bayfield Convenience Center on CR 223- Monday 1pm-6pm, Tuesday 10am-6pm, Thursday 9am-2pm, and Saturday 1pm-6pm

·        Marvel Convenience Center on CR 134 – Wednesday 10am-6pm and Saturday 6am-Noon

·        Bondad Landfill, 1500 E CR 310/318 -  Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm

Exceptionally large items, such as old vehicles, will be collected during this two-week period by appointment only. To arrange pickup, call 375-4831 if located within the City of Durango, or 382-6417 in other areas of La Plata County.

“Recycling of household refrigerators and freezers is an important part of this collection effort,” said Nancy Andrews, the City’s Resource Conservation Coordinator. “The EPA states that those manufactured before 1995 typically contain chloroflurocarbon (CFC) refrigerant. CFCs are ozone-depleting substances that, if released to the environment, destroy the protective ozone layer above the earth. CFC refrigerants are also potent greenhouse gases, meaning that their release contributes to global climate change. Refrigerators and freezers manufactured since 1995 contain ozone-friendly hydro fluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants; however, these refrigerants still need to be carefully handled since they are greenhouse gases.” 

According to Mark Schwantes, La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) director of corporate services, old refrigerator and freezers can consume two to four times more energy annually than a new model, and, as a result, considerably increase electric bills.

“Significant energy savings can be realized by replacing old refrigerators or freezers with newer models that have earned the government's Energy Star label,” said Schwantes. “If your old refrigerator is a secondary unit located in a garage or basement, you can save more than $100 per year on electricity charges by removing it and not replacing it.” 

To encourage protection of the environment and energy savings, the local government agencies have partnered with LPEA and the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) for the refrigerator recycling program. The City of Durango has equipment and trained technicians that are certified to remove and contain refrigerants prior to recycling. LPEA will provide a $25 rebate for each refrigerator and freezer that is collected during this two week period. An additional $40 rebate is available when a new Energy Star unit is purchased. 4CORE will coordinate distribution of the rebates.

Propane tanks will not be accepted as part of the scrap metal collection, but can be recycled at the Household Chemical Collection at the Fairgrounds, September 27. Computers and other electronics are also not accepted with the scrap metal. The next Computer & Electronic Collection will be held Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15, 9:00am-3:00pm at the Durango Recycling Center.

For additional details call City of Durango Public Works 970.375.4830.

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