Contact info

Address

High Country Conservation Center 737 Ten Mile Dr Frisco CO 80443 PO Box 4506 Frisco CO 80443

Phone

(970) 668-5703

Email

info@highcountryconservation.org

unincorporated Summit County
Say Hello to Pay As You Throw

Recycle More. Trash Less.

We’re kicking trash to the curb with a whole new way to think about curbside collection.

here's how it works

step 01

Choose a Bin

Choose a small, medium, or large trash bin.
step 02

trash less

The smaller your trash bin, the lower your bill.
step 03

recycle more

Curbside recycling is now included.
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Where

Pay As You Throw applies to residents of Breckenridge, Frisco and unincorporated Summit County who have curbside trash collection. The program may expand to other Summit County communities over time.

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When

Throughout spring and summer, waste service providers will contact their customers in unincorporated Summit County with plan options for the new trash bin sizes. Recycling will be included with all trash bin sizes.

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Why

Summit County lags the nation on recycling. We recycle just 20% of our waste, compared to the national average of 32%. Pay as You Throw is proven to increase recycling. It’s a staple in the Colorado communities with the highest recycling rates.

did you know?

Summit County lags the nation when it comes to recycling. We recycle and compost just 20% of our waste, well below the national average of 32%.

Pay As you throw Questions

For Residents with Individual Bin Curbside Collection

Yes, you will receive curbside recycling. The new Pay as You Throw program will bundle trash and recycling service for all residents with individual bins. This will give you the convenience of having single stream recycling at your home. Single stream recycling will allow you to recycle metal cans, paper, as well as plastic bottles, jugs and tubs all in one bin. Glass is not included in Summit County’s single stream. You may continue to use the recycling centers which also accept glass, food waste and juice cartons.

Pay as You Throw applies to all residents with an individual bin, including group accounts paid through an HOA. Waste haulers will work with HOAs directly to determine options for each group account.  

No, there are no plans for the free recycling centers to close with these new programs in place. Summit County Government operates three free recycling centers in Breckenridge, Frisco, and Silverthorne for residents. Residents who have curbside recycling collection are encouraged to recycle glass and food scraps at the free sites to reduce the amount of trash being landfilled.

Local governments cannot tell private companies how much they can charge for their services. Under the Pay as You Throw (PAYT) program, waste haulers will be required to provide curbside recycling collection to all customers who have trash collection. This combination of recycling and trash service will be offered for one monthly price.  In addition, towns will require that waste haulers offer three sizes of trash bins (small, medium and large—which will be defined with gallon sizes). The small trash bin with recycling service will be considered the “base” rate. The medium trash bin service level will cost 80% more than the base rate, and the large trash bin service level will be an additional 80% increase from the base rate. The lower cost of the smaller trash bins incentivizes residents to recycle more and produce less trash.  Please watch HC3’s informational video forum for further details. Based on data from other communities with PAYT in place, we expect 50% or more of full-time residents to opt for a medium or small trash bin. In other Colorado communities, residents that opt for the small trash bins have saved money compared to pre-PAYT pricing, and residents who have opted for large trash bins are paying more than before PAYT was in place. In the same way that residents pay less for electricity or water than their neighbors who use more electricity and water, people that produce less trash will now pay less than their neighbors who generate more garbage.

Waste Management and Timberline will purchase the new bins. These companies prefer to use their own bins, as they know they work with their trucks and have branding that is visible down the street. Some of the smaller waste haulers require customers to buy their own bins, but this will not be a change since that's the way it currently works. If a Waste Management or Timberline customer has their own bin that works with that company's trucks and is approved by that company, a customer can continue to use their own bin.

The trash providers will keep any large bins that are traded in for smaller sizes, as long as the bins are in good condition and don't have an old company name (such as a company that is no longer in service). There is adequate demand for bins, so the companies will keep them in rotation. HC3 expects to offer a temporary bin recycling program for customers to bring old bins that are damaged or have old company names on them.

The easiest way to reduce your trash is to participate in the free Food Scrap Program. Residents can complete a simple signup form and drop off food waste for free at seven locations across the county. Many participants comment on how much less trash they produce once they begin collecting their food scraps for recycling (composting). Glass, which is not accepted in single stream, can be recycled at more than 10 locations around the county. Milk, soup and juice cartons, which are not accepted in single stream, may also be recycled at one of the three drop-off centers. 

CONTACT YOUR PROVIDER

All waste companies offering curbside trash service Breckenridge, Frisco and unincorporated Summit County will offer Pay As You Throw pricing, with three trash bin size options and recycling included. Contact your waste provider for pricing.
Garbage Gurus
970-485-5709
Summit VIP
970-778-1009
Timberline

970-368-6446

Waste Management

 970-468-2475

Recycle Right

Single Stream: Picked Up at Your Home, Office, or HOA

recycle-plastic#1 and #2 Plastic (Bottles, Jugs, and Tubs)recycle-aluminumAluminum and tin Cans
recycle-paperPaperrecycle-cardboardCardboard
recycle-plasticPlastic Bottles, Jugs, and Tubsrecycle-aluminumAluminum and tin Cansrecycle-paperPaperrecycle-cardboardCardboard
If you are a business, HOA, or a resident living in a condo or apartment, Pay As You Throw does not apply to you.