Pitkin County, Colo., Launch Campaign to Reduce Trash Problem

Pitkin County developed a dirty reputation earlier this year when it was revealed that the average citizen produces 10 pounds of waste per day. In response, officials have launched a campaign to change people’s trashy behavior.

For months now, animated characters like a paper coffee cup, a discarded shoe and a greasy pizza box have been dancing across television screens and appearing in local print ads, as part of Pitkin County Landfill’s “Talking Trash” campaign. The landfill is reaching capacity, and the majority of items that are dumped each day could have been recycled, reused, refused or composted.

Solid waste manager Cathy Hall said it's too soon to calculate direct impacts of the campaign, but the 15-year lifespan could be significantly extended if people understood more about the final resting place of their discarded items.