Colorado
Englewood teams up with Compost Colorado to bring composting to city facilities
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Englewood is the first municipality to partner with Compost Colorado to bring composting containers to all city buildings.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methane gas is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping atmospheric heat and makes up about 16% of global emissions. A new internal city-wide program in Englewood aims to cut back on methane gas emissions, starting with employee food scraps.
“If you are taking your banana peels and throwing them in the trash, that goes to the landfill, where it generates methane gas because it’s trapped in styrofoam and plastic and it’s broken down anaerobically. Instead, you can turn that banana peel, those coffee grounds into compost, which reduces and eliminates that methane and, in exchange, makes a really healthy, nutrient-rich compost soil amendment,” said Vann Fussell, founder of Compost Colorado.
The company offers residential and commercial compost pick-up to communities across the Front Range. They typically divert around 50,000 pounds of scraps and compostable products away from landfills each week.
In the last week, Compost Colorado launched something new — a partnership with the City of Englewood.
“This is one of the first kinds of partnerships we’ve developed with a municipality,” said Fussell.
Compost Colorado bins can now be found in about 20 break rooms for city employees.
“City staff can utilize it after lunch if they have a banana peel or anything organic. They can put it in this bin and know that they’re helping with waste diversion,” said Melissa Englund, Englewood’s sustainability program manager who has been working for years with Compost Colorado to launch the program.
The program was funded through money from the Public Works budget — $570 as a one-time start-up fee and a monthly payment of $685. That includes 20 bins and multiple 64-gallon roll-offs that will be located at the Civic Center, the police department, the Service Center, Malley Senior Center, South Platte Renew and the Englewood Recreation Center.
Public Works staff saw firsthand just how much compostable material was heading straight to the dump in the trash.
“Right now, we currently have recycling. We do the trash removal, and we do look at what we’re throwing away. With a lot of food and a lot of product that can be in compost, we decided it’d be a really good program to add,” said Ron Thornton, deputy director of Englewood Public Works.
The bins are expected to have a big impact once all 600+ city employees join in.
“The first few weeks you might expect, you know, about one or two tons of diversion across their municipal buildings. But that might snowball into maybe even 10 tons a week from across all their departments,” said Fussell.
Organizers hope the commitment to composting spreads beyond the government buildings. The city has posted signage and hosted lunch-and-learns to give their employees information on how to properly compost.
“We hope that they take that information and bring it home to their friends and families and get them excited about composting, too,” said Englund.
“If your city leaders aren’t recycling and composting, it’s hard for you as a resident to feel that it’s your responsibility to do that, so I appreciate Englewood. They’re setting a good example to their community,” said Fussell. “I’m really hopeful that these other municipalities that we operate in Broomfield, Westminster, Arvada, Lakewood, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, all of these municipalities adopt a similar practice, and we can divert as much food waste from the landfill as we can.”
Englewood does offer community compost drop-off at the recreation center. Residents need to sign up with Compost Colorado for $5/week to have 24/7 access to the bin there. The residential bin was launched in May 2023 and since then, 2,820 lbs of organic waste has been diverted, according to the city.
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An investigation is underway after authorities found a body near a picnic area in western Colorado last weekend that appears to have been eaten by a bear.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office says the human remains were located on Sunday near the Wild Rose Picnic Area off Lands End Road on the Grand Mesa. Investigators say the remains were scavenged and scattered, and they believe the person was consumed by a bear and other wildlife.
The Mesa County Coroner’s Office is working to identify the person and officially determine their cause of death.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who was in the area of the Wild Rose Campground between June 22 and July 5, 2026, and noticed anything suspicious to contact Investigator Jenna Reed at (970) 244-3274.
They added that Colorado Parks and Wildlife believes there is no threat to the community at this time.
The area is home to black bears, and the MCSO shared several guidelines for the community to prevent human-bear conflicts:
- Stay alert and together: Go with others when possible, keep children in sight and close by, and avoid using headphones so you can hear your surroundings.
- Food safety: Double-bag food, pack out all food and trash, and don’t burn scraps and trash in fire rings/grills or leave them behind.
- Pet safety: Keep dogs on a leash at all times or leave them at home; don’t force a bear to defend itself.
- Camping safety: Set up camps away from dense cover or natural food sources and do not cook or store food near/in a tent. Secure food in bear-resistant containers or suspend at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet away from any part of the tree.
- Know how to respond: Don’t approach bears; quietly move away. Never run, as it may trigger a chase response. If a bear approaches, stand your ground, wave your arms, and yell until it leaves. Stay with your group, use bear spray, and fight back aggressively if necessary.
- Bear spray: Carry bear spray and know how to use it correctly. It’s not repellent; don’t spray your tent, campsite, or belongings.
Damage assessments are still ongoing for homes and businesses affected by the Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado, but over 200 homes have been confirmed destroyed so far. The United Way of Southern Colorado is working to raise relief funds for those affected and says it’s making progress towards its fundraising goal.
In an update on Wednesday afternoon, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said they’ve assessed approximately 67% of the properties affected in the county. Authorities have confirmed the loss of 192 homes and four commercial structures so far and are working to contact property owners as quickly as possible.
Lucero urged everyone affected by the fire to use the survivor portal for more information on assistance.
Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith says they’ve lost approximately 83 homes so far, almost 2% of the county’s homes. The worst hit area is along the Highway 165 corridor, Smith added. He said that authorities don’t expect any new evacuation areas, but are not yet ready to release the existing evacuation orders.
Smith said a hotline is available during business hours for affected Custer County Residents to ask questions. He urged residents to contact them at (719) 467-0271 and advised they may need to leave a voicemail if the line is busy due to the high number of calls.
A flash flood watch is in effect for areas near the burn scar, which could affect nearby homes.
The President of the United Way of Southern Colorado, Shanna Farmer, said the organization is working to raise wildfire relief funds for those affected. Over the last few days, they have reached just over $417,000 of their $10 million goal.
“It has been incredible, the number of individuals and companies who have come out to support, to provide matches, and to provide innovative ways to raise those funds,” said Farmer. “And so, I encourage anyone who is willing to work with us on a corporate, business, or individual level to please reach out because it is going to take all of us to help rebuild.”
Farmer said that the community not only needs help with their immediate needs but also long-term support. She urged anyone interested in donating to visit their website.
The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says anyone who has evacuated needs to contact the Disaster Assistance Center located at 29 Lehigh Ave. in Pueblo. The center is open between 9 a.m and 6 p.m. and provides multiple resources for those forced to evacuate.
Residents must also visit the center to obtain a re-entry pass, which will allow them to return home once evacuation orders have been lifted. A photo ID and proof of residency are required. Visitors can sign up online to reserve a place in line for faster service.
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