Nederland took its first steps toward Zero Waste in 2011, with adoption of Envision 2020 - the document that would help move the Town forward over the next ten years. Since then - as a town, as a government, and as a community - we have made a unified push towards our ultimate goal: 100% zero waste in Nederland.
What is Zero Waste?
Zero waste is an approach to waste management that focuses on reimagining the life cycle of resources and products. The goal of zero waste is to keep as much trash out of landfills, incinerators, and the environment as possible. In a zero waste system, materials are reused as many times as possible.
Ways to reduce waste can happen at every step in a products lifecycle - from production to purchase, and from use to retirement. This page will offer tips and solutions to reducing waste within our community. Some might be more obvious than others, but the goal is to offer a comprehensive guide that anyone can use to eliminate waste in their lives.
Our Commitment to Sustainability & Zero Waste
Nederland's Sustainability Action Plan Sustainability Advisory Board Envision 2020
Paper Bag Fee
On July 1st, 2024, Ordinance 862 took effect, mandating a ban on polystyrene containers (i.e. syrofoam) and plastic bags, and modifying the remittance percentage of the bag fee. Beginning in 2025, all retail stores in Nederland are required to charge a $0.10 fee for disposable paper bags distributed to consumers at the point of sales.
The Ordinance permits businesses to retain 40% of revenue accumulated through the fee, and the remaining 60% to be remitted to the Town on a quarterly basis.
Bag Fee Information
FAQs
Q: Are all businesses required to charge the bag fee?
- Only businesses that are primarily retail are required to charge the bag fee. If retail is a secondary operation, that business is not required to charge the bag fee.
Q: Are farmers market vendors and other temporary vendors required to charge the bag fee?
- No, a temporary retail vendor at a festival market or other event is not required to charge the bag fee. They are also not required to use paper bags.
Q: What is banned and what is allowed to be given to customers?
- Banned: Single-use plastic bags, expanded polystyrene products (aka Styrofoam).
- Allowed: Paper bags WITH at least 40% post-consumer recycled content, food containers that are not made out of Styrofoam.
Q: Are restaurants required to provide paper bags and charge the bag fee?
- Restaurants are considered food establishments and are not required to charge the bag fee. However, all food establishments are banned from providing customers with single-use plastic bags and must use paper bags instead.
Q: Are food trucks required to provide paper bags and charge the bag fee?
- Food trucks are not considered food establishments per the Ordinance and are not required to provide paper bags or charge the bag fee.
Q: Can businesses provide customers with compostable bags instead of paper?
- Yes, businesses may provide customers with a compostable or reusable bag as long as it is not a plastic bag designed to be used once and discarded.
Disposable Paper Bag Revenue & Distribution Form
Retail businesses should use this form to report the revenue collected and the estimated number of disposable paper bags distributed each quarter. The schedule for quarterly reporting is as follows:
Quarter 1 (January 1 - March 31): Reporting forms due April 15
Quarter 2 (April 1 - June 30): Reporting forms due July 15
Quarter 3 (July 1 - September 30): Reporting forms due October 15
Quarter 4 (October 1 - December 31): Reporting forms due January 15
The 7 R's of Zero Waste
The 7 R's of Zero Waste is an expanded form of the original 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle' slogan. These additional R's can help us find even more ways to reduce waste in our daily lives. Use this as a primer to get started in your own Zero Waste journey:
Rethink: A zero waste lifestyle starts internally, by shifting how we think about the products we buy or bring into our lives. Think about how your buying habits effect the environment, and how those habits could possibly change. Thinking critically about what you buy is an important first step in waste reduction.
Refuse: By being mindful of what we purchase, we can use our wallets to make an impact on waste throughout our economy. It doesn't just stop there, though. Nowadays, we are bombarded with so many freebies that we will never use - from junk mail to leaflets, business cards, promo items and more, it's incredibly easy to spend nothing, yet end up with waste regardless. When confronted with these types of items, take a moment to Rethink what you'll actually use, and Refuse the rest.
Reduce: Have you ever caught yourself using too much dish soap to clean dishes, or using a stack of paper towels to dry your hands? These are excellent areas where you can reduce the amount that's being used to what is strictly necessary. When it comes to buying something you're out of, can you replace it with something with recyclable packaging? Think about the resources you use on a daily basis, and find areas where you can reduce their consumption and packaging.
Repurpose/Repair: Once something has been used for it's original purpose, don't throw it out! If it breaks, find ways to fix it! Old items can have their lifespan extended with repairs, or by finding new uses for them!
Reuse: Items can potentially have a longer lifespan that we expect. Just because a straw or plastic cutlery is supposed to be single-use doesn't mean that has to be the case. These kinds of items can be cleaned and reused multiple times before they need to be retired. Better still: consider Reducing this type of waste from the start by investing in more durable, reusable alternatives.
Recycle: Only after we've tried to Repurpose, Repair, or Reuse something, should we then recycle it. Many cities - Nederland included - use a single-stream recycling process, meaning that all recyclables go to one location, where they are sorted. Despite this, there can be a lot of confusion about what can and can't be recycled. Under our Zero Waste Resources, you'll find guides to what can go into single-stream, as well as places around Nederland where you can recycle things that can't!
Rot: Composting is an important step in waste reduction! By properly composting our organic waste, we can properly mitigate CO2 that would otherwise be released in landfills, and instead turn it into a useful soil amendment. Look under our Zero Waste Resources for tips for composting!
Recycle in Nederland
While the Nederland Transfer Station handles most of the recycling for Town, there are a number of other businesses that will accept harder to recycle materials. Click the blue icons on the map below to learn more:
Community Initiatives
Zero Waste Resources
Single Stream Recycling Guide
Unsure if something belongs in the recycling bin? Check this handy guide from EcoCycle, and recycle with confidence! Click the image to download the full-sized guide:
Is it Compostable?
If you're new to composting, or just need a quick reference, this guide will help you figure out what is and isn't compostable. Click the image to download the full-sized guide:
