Celebrate Earth Day in Breckenridge for the entire month of April with these upcoming events and opportunities.
“Plastics extend beyond an imminent environmental issue; they present a grave threat to human health as alarming as climate change. As plastics break down into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulate through the air we breathe. Plastic production now has grown to more than 380 million tons per year. More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire 20th century, and the industry plans to grow explosively for the indefinite future.
More than 500 billion plastic bags—one million bags per minute—were produced worldwide last year. Many plastic bags have a working life of a few minutes, followed by an afterlife of centuries. Even after plastics disintegrate, they remain as microplastics, minute particles permeating every niche of life on the planet.
100 billion plastic beverage containers were sold last year in the United States. That’s more than 300 bottles per inhabitant. A few of them will be converted into park benches; none of them will be made into new plastic bottles and 95% of all plastics in the US won’t be recycled at all. Even the 5% of plastics being recycled are “downcycling” to inferior products or shipped to poorer countries for “recycling”, leaving the demand for virgin plastic undiminished.” EarthDay.Org 2024
Good to go Cups Launch
Coffee shops The Crown, Mountain View, Cool River and Breckenridge Coffee Roasters are launching a reusable cup program on April 22, 2024 with Good to Go Cups. The goal is simple: to reduce the number of single use coffee and drink cups going in our county’s landfill. Learn more at Good to Go Cups.
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Free Film Screening
“Fracking the System: Colorado’s Oil and Gas Wars”
Friday, April 26, 2024
6:30-9 PM – Tickets are required
Colorado Mountain College
Presented by the Headwaters Group of the Sierra Club, High Country Conservation Center, and CMC
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A Finer Future Is Possible: A Talk with Hunter Lovins
Sunday, April 28, 2024
3:00 PM
Colorado Mountain College
Join HC3 and its community partners for a talk by renowned author and sustainability expert, Hunter Lovins. Hunter will share wisdom from her new book, A Finer Future, including how communities, citizens, and businesses can help to transform our economy to a regenerative economy which restores the environment instead of depleting it. Learn more.
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Photo credit: Joe Kusumoto
Precious Plastics – Injection 101
Learn about the possibilities of plastic with Precious Plastics! Participants in this class will learn to safely use our injection machine to create small functional objects with #2 plastic discards collected from our community.
Breck Create Members: $23
Non-Members: $30
Participants must be 17 or older
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 6-9PM
Wednesday, April 10, 2024 6-9PM
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 6-9PM
Summer registration is also open for other Precious Plastics events including:
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Precious Plastics – Collection Events
Tired of feeling guilty about throwing away all those clamshell containers and plastic lids? Bring your clean, label-free plastics to a Precious Plastics collection event in April. Plastics #1, #2, #5, and #6 are accepted.
Thursday, April 4, 2024 @ 11AM
Thursday, April 11, 2024 @ 11Am
Thursday, April 18, 2024 @ 11Am
Thursday, April 25, 2024 @ 11AM
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Local Grant Opportunities
Breckenridge Materials Management Grant
Town of Breckenridge is offering up to $10K for innovative materials management and waste diversion projects in 2024. Funds can be used to:
Support implementation of PAYT, Universal Recycling and the reduction in plastic pollution.
Install water refill stations, pilot a reusable dishware program, set up food scrap composting, install commercial energy efficient dishwashers, install bilingual recycling signage, etc.
Funds can be paired with other funding including but not limited to Strong Future Recycling, RREO, or Energy Smart Colorado rebates. Funding will exclude ongoing operational costs like service charges, purchases of disposable to-go containers, or purchases of reusable bags.
Strong Future Recycling Grants
To work toward Summit County’s community goal of 40% waste diversion by 2035, Summit County Government created the Strong Future Community Grants program to support projects that prevent waste and increase local waste diversion. High Country Conservation Center (HC3) manages the program, which had $325,000 allocated for grants in 2023. Grants are funded through Strong Future, a mill levy approved by Summit County voters in 2018. Applications are now open. Learn more.
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Shout Out to ResourceWise Businesses
High Country Conservation Center works in partnership with the Towns of Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, and Summit County Government to help businesses reduce energy use, carbon emissions, and waste while improving recycling, composting, and purchasing practices. These businesses save money and have a positive impact on Summit County’s carbon footprint.
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Go Solar with Solarize Summit
Designed to make going solar simple and more affordable, Solarize Summit offers local residents and businesses a limited-time discount on solar panel installation.
Up to $3,000 in Rebates & Incentives
• Rebates are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Town of Breckenridge: $1,650 rebate
• Active Energies Solar: 5% discount up to a maximum of $1,500
• Federal Tax Credit: 30% of the system cost
Next Steps
1. Sign up for a free, no obligation sites assessment by May 31st
2. Receive a customized proposal and decide if solar is right for you
3. Sign a contract by June 30th
4. Install your system
5. Receive your rebates
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Garbage Gurus Launches Curbside Composting
This Earth Day, April 22, Garbage Gurus will be expanding on its sustainability commitment by launching its food scraps pick-up services for any home, condo, apartment or business in Summit County. By composting your food scraps, you reduce your carbon footprint & environmental impact. Diverting food waste from landfills prevents harmful greenhouse gas emissions and helps to create a more sustainable future for Summit County and our planet. Garbage Gurus is Summit County's premier provider of valet and curbside pick-up services for trash, single-stream recycling, glass-only recycling, and food scraps. Learn more.
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Other Breckenridge Resources