Parks & Recreation Environmental Stewardship

Each year we strive to make Boulder a greener, better place to live and play. This includes finding ways to make all our parks and facilities more environmentally sustainable.

Zero Waste: Recycling and Composting

All Parks and Recreation indoor recreation facilities, offices, and shop facilities aim to be zero waste facilities complete with composting, recycling and garbage. More than 25 parks facilities, the Boulder Reservoir, Flatirons Golf Course, Pleasant View Athletic Fields, and other athletic fields offer recycling on site. Staff is currently working to add composting to the Pearl Street Mall.

All organic landscape waste that is produced by Parks and Recreation staff and volunteers is taken to Western Disposal to be composted for later use in the parks and for residents.

Sustainable Materials

Recycled materials are used for construction projects when possible.

• 100 percent recycled shingles, parking blocks, and benches are used for park upgrades.
• 100 percent recycled products are also used in all non-load bearing aspects of bridges, decking, and screening areas.

The upgrade to the Family Gathering Area on the 1200 Block of the Pearl Street Mall removed treated, decomposing lumber and replaced it with an extremely hard wood that does not need to be treated and has a longer lifespan.

Park shelters have been upgraded to included long lasting, low energy-using LED lights. The Parks and Recreation Department partnered with Downtown Boulder Incorporated to replace older seasonal lights for the Downtown Mall with LED lights. The new facility at Valmont Bike Park has solar panels.

Events

We require all events open to the public and held on Boulder Parks and Recreation land to be zero waste events. We encourage organizers of private events to use zero-waste practices.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 06:29