The city of Glenwood Springs is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, for the new downtown recycling center near the Rio Grande Trail at 13th Street.

Construction on the project will start immediately following the groundbreaking and is anticipated to last three weeks to a month. The project is funded in part by a $149,600 Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity (RREO) grant. The goal is to increase the city’s recycling rate by 25% to return to pre-2015 levels.

The city’s in-town recycling center was previously located on School Street and was moved to the South Canyon Landfill in February 2017. In 2019, City Council approved the purchase of the new site located at 13th Street and Pitkin Avenue just down the road from the former site.

In 2019, Glenwood Springs processed 51.35 tons of glass, commingled tin and aluminum; 1,811 tons of plastic; 1,213 e-waste items; and 610 appliances. The landfill also composted 1,260 tons of cardboard, 300 tons of manure, 276 tons of grass and leaves, and 184 tons of wood chips.

The event will be outside, and social distancing measures are required.