What happens to all the trash and recycling? Where does it all go?
The Estes Valley has a population of just under 12,000, but this Rocky Mountain community hosts an estimated 4 million visitors annually who create mountains of waste.
The Larimer County Landfill is responsible for handling residential and commercial waste management in Estes Park, as well as the rest of Northern Colorado in Larimer County. The Larimer County Landfill receives between 600 and 1,000 customers daily, split between residential waste trucks, transfer trucks belonging to Larimer County Landfill’s partners, and residential vehicles.
The county landfill, which has been operational since 1963, is expected to reach capacity by 2026 and will no longer accept waste, said Duane Penney, director of solid waste for Larimer County, in an interview with the Estes Valley Voice.
A plan approved by the Larimer County Commissioners, along with representatives from Larimer County, the City of Loveland, the City of Fort Collins, and the Town of Estes Park, is currently underway to address the landfill’s closure.
A new landfill being constructed on county-owned land in Wellington near the Rawhide Energy Station and west of I-25 is expected to open in mid-2026.
Although the public will have limited access to the new landfill in an effort to reduce traffic, a new transfer and diversion station is being built at the current landfill to accommodate the expected demand. Plans are also in place to update the current recycling center and create new waste diversion programs.
“The Larimer County solid waste program is a public landfill, and we’re here to service the community’s solid waste needs, and also the recycling,” said Penney. “As a county, we are always trying to find ways to divert materials from the landfill for reuse and recycling.”
How does the current landfill work?
Nearly all the waste that is brought into the landfill is consolidated in a receiving area. A dozer then spreads the trash, making it easier for the compactor, a heavy vehicle with spiked wheels, to compact it. The garbage is then placed in two-foot layers in the ground and typically compacted five to six times to maximize space. Once compacted, it is covered by dirt. This process is repeated, creating multiple layers of compacted trash separated by dirt.
Penney said the onsite recycling center currently processes about 45,000 tons of recyclables annually, with residential single-stream recycling being the most significant contributor, followed by commercial single-stream recycling and cardboard. The recyclables are sorted and sent to a material recovery facility in Denver, where they are further processed. The hazardous waste collection facility focuses on the disposal of hazardous waste, and its employees are trained to identify and prevent hazardous waste from ending up in the landfill. Penney said that diversion is their biggest goal.
“We’re working on future diversion programs that will allow people to bring cardboard, metals, wood and put them in separate areas so that it doesn’t end up in the landfill,” Penney said. “And then we can find ways to process that material to where it can be reused. That creates a circular economy, and that’s what we’re working towards.”
How does the landfill handle methane gas?
Organic waste produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes. Because municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S., landfills use a gas flare device called a candlestick, which involves a complex system of pipes and fans, to collect and combust the gas. The gas can also be captured and used to generate renewable energy by producing electricity, heat, or natural gas for use in vehicles or homes.
Penney said the landfill plans to expand its methane gas collection system next year. Since the landfill will continue to emit methane gas long after it is full, the emissions will need to be continuously monitored for 30 years.
How does the landfill educate the public about its work?
The Garbage Garage Education Center, originally constructed as a storage facility in 2002, is now used as a public instructional center that offers tours, workshops, and educational events on waste management processes, according to Abby Kotecki, the Larimer County Landfill environmental educator.
Supported by community donations, the Garbage Garage features a trash tunnel and repurposed visual exhibitions about recycling, hazardous waste, and composting processes. Kids can even have their birthday parties in the Garbage Garage and learn about the “three Rs” of waste management: reduce, reuse, recycle.
“We really tried to build this place with our values in mind — reduce, recycle, reuse — and also highlight the different pieces that go into managing the waste for an entire county,” Kotecki said.
“Typically, waste is out of sight, out of mind, and when someone throws something away, we want to highlight all the processes that make sure that item is disposed of safely or properly reused. It takes a lot of people working together and future planning.”
What will become of the old landfill?
Even though the current landfill will be closing, the site will remain an active part of Larimer County’s waste management, including Estes Park. Penney said that while the landfill will close next year, the county will continue to monitor the property for the next three decades. In 2028, an engineered clay cap will be constructed to revegetate the site.
The new transfer and diversion station is currently under construction and expected to be completed by July 1, 2026. Until then, people can self-haul trash to the current transfer station, where it will be transferred to the new landfill.
The new demolition facility, which will be located at the current landfill, will sort mixed materials from building sites, including metal, concrete, and wood, and has the potential to divert approximately 120,000 tons of waste from the landfill.
Though no locations have been specified yet, a new yard waste composting system and food waste composting system will also turn yard trimmings and food scraps into compost, diverting approximately 15,000 tons of yard waste and 25,000 tons of food waste.
“We can’t just say, ‘You can’t put that in the landfill,’” Penney said. “We have to find alternative sources for people to bring those materials.”
The Garbage Garage will also remain on its current site and continue its mission of providing education about waste management and diversion processes through tours and educational events.
“For Estes, we want to make sure they know we’re here,” Kotecki said. “Even though they’re up in the mountains, we want them to feel included, too.”
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