Recycling grants and support

In its simplest form, the hub-and-spoke recycling model consists of a centralized processing center, or “hub,” where recyclable material is sorted, baled and/or sold to market, and “spokes,” the surrounding communities that feed the recyclables they collect to the main hub. Typically the hub and spoke communities have a formal agreement that ensures the recyclables collected in the region flow from the spokes to the hub for processing.

Benefits

• Hub-and-spoke creates economies of scale that avoid communities investing in duplicative recycling infrastructure. Costs for equipment, personnel, processing, transportation and marketing are shared.
• Equally important is the development of a regional partnership to sustain the hub-and-spoke system. Many small communities struggle to generate enough recyclables to attract investment from large recyclers.
  • These communities can’t financially support a full-scale recycling program on their own.
  • Consolidating recyclables from multiple communities via a hub-and-spoke partnership increases the volume of recyclables collected, adding to revenue potential.

The program recognizes the benefits of the hub-and-spoke concept, especially for rural Colorado, and has made it a top priority to fund projects that employ this model. The lack of recycling processing capacity (hubs) and collection sites (spokes) in rural areas has created a disparity in the availability of recycling opportunities. The RREO Grant Program uses available grant funding to address this disparity.

• Any proposal that seeks to build or retrofit a facility to process, consolidate and store recyclables (hub) AND includes plans to offer public drop-off locations for recyclables in AT LEAST TWO outlying communities (spokes) qualifies as a hub-and-spoke recycling system.
  • Equally important will be evidence of a partnership that exists between the hub and the spokes, ensuring the recyclables collected in the region flow from the spokes to the hub for processing.
• Hub-and-spoke proposals will be considered Tier 1 under the RREO Grant Program’s list of priorities, however, the proposal may be bumped to a lower priority tier if it’s determined that it doesn’t meet the definition of a hub-and-spoke system.
• Please review the tier determination flowchart, which clarifies what makes a Tier 1 proposal.

Grant application guidelines

Specific guidelines for hub-and-spoke proposals can be found on the Recycling Grants and Rebates page. All hub-and-spoke proposals will be expected to:

• Increase resource conservation by creating new recycling and waste diversion collection and processing programs.
• Provide an opportunity for small, rural communities to process and/or collect materials for marketing.
• Create greater recycling economies of scale in rural, underserved areas of the state.
• Maintain current solid waste jobs and/or create new and permanent jobs directly and indirectly.
• Provide a long-term, sustainable operational and financial commitment.
• Improve transportation energy efficiency by consolidating recycling materials.
• Reduce environmental impact, from resource extraction to products made from virgin materials.

Signage

Appropriate signage communicates to the public what materials they can recycle.

• You should consider signage needs at the collection facility and on individual containers, and how they might differ.
• Signs printed in a language other than English may be needed.
• Consider incorporating pictures to show examples of what’s acceptable and/or what isn’t.
• Allow space within the poster’s design to credit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for our assistance in funding the project.
• Focus on how the signage used in this project can be designed so it can be understood at a glance.
  • It’s widely accepted that with any signage there’s a three-second window to capture viewers’ attention and convey a message. Signage should be developed with this in mind.

Resources

• New Mexico Recycling Coalition PowerPoint presentation to the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board Assistance.
• Tier determination flowchart

Maps

• Hub and spoke waste shed map.
• Access to recycling by city and county.
• Locations of existing material recovery facilities (MRFs) and recycling drop-off centers.

Templates

• Letter of commitment example 1.
• Letter of commitment example 2.

• A letter of support states that a local government agent or community group endorses or approves of the project.
• A letter of commitment is a statement of active participation in the project by an entity that will play an important role in the project’s implementation. It specifies resources that the entity will commit to the project and identifies what role it will play in achieving the project’s goals.

• Memorandum of understanding (or memorandum of agreement) template.
• Letter of support example.

Resources

Colorado NextCycle

​​​​RREO program annual reports

• FY 2014.
• FY 2015.
• FY 2016.