Although only 8 percent of Cortez residents regularly take advantage of curbside recycling under the ECO-rtez program, the project is largely a success and is making progress, according to Don Cornett, recycling coordinator for the city.

City residents can recycle aluminum, glass and newsprint simply by leaving the items out for collection each week in green bins provided free by the city. When the program began in the early 1990s, the city gave out approximately 3,500 Eco-rtez bins, he said, but only some 8 percent of the persons who received them recycle on a weekly basis.

Newspapers make up the bulk of the recycled items, with 197.25 tons of paper being recycled to date this year. The paper is shipped to Snowflake, Ariz., to Abitibi Consolidated, which buys the newsprint for $86 per ton. Shipping costs $16 per ton, Cornett said, which leaves the city with a profit on the recycling.

In 1999, the city recycled 4,730 pounds of aluminum cans under the curbside recycling program. Aluminum is taken to Belt Salvage south of Cortez, meaning that shipping charges are minimal, he said.

The city also takes glass bottles, which are separated into brown and mixed glass (clear, green and cobalt). The brown bottles are taken crushed and taken to the Coors rebottling plant in Wheatridge, Cornett said, while the mixed glass is transported to Nucla, where businessman Bob Burbridge crushes it at no cost to Cortez and uses it to make products such as sidewalk and driveway materials.

In addition to the curbside bins, Cortez has a drop-off point at the Montezuma County annex, where county residents can leave their recyclable items.

The drop-off bin for newspaper is emptied once daily, according to Cornett, creating one bale, or 1,350 pounds a day, of newsprint.

Every ton of recycled newspaper saves 17 trees from being chopped down and processed for paper, he said. So far this year, Cortez has saved 3,354 trees.

Cornett advised residents to take advantage of the free program. He said, however, that it’s important to keep the newsprint dry, either by putting newspapers inside the bin with the lid on or enclosing them in plastic bags.

Items for curbside recycling don’t have to be inside the bin, he added, but can be left next to it.