Recycling costs on the rise for Jefferson County

At Boulder’s solid waste collection site, Brian Hohn eyes the recycling bins wondering if the social good associated with all this cardboard and paper can contravene the laws of economics.

Jefferson County’s Solid Waste Manager knows that in today’s market, recycling, once a free and feel-good habit, is no longer without cost. In September the county began paying $35 a ton to recycle paper and $20 a ton to recycle cardboard. This month, the fee to recycle cardboard is up to $30 a ton.

“Any higher,” Hohn says, “and the cost isn’t worth it.”