Just in time for the observance of Earth Day this weekend, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill into law Friday that bans disposal of electronic equipment in landfills and requires the state of Colorado to dispose of its e-waste through certified recyclers.
It’s “green” in the environmental sense, and means “green” as in cash-money for an emerging business sector that includes 2002 Pueblo Community College graduate Henry Renteria-Vigil.
“It’s going to put us in a good position,” he said.
His Denver-based certified recycling business, R2 Stewardship, got its start with a contract with the Pueblo Army Depot, and grew to enjoy its first $1 million year in 2011.
Now that SB133 is law, more will join Renteria-Vigil in that club, according to Marjorie Griek, executive director of the Colorado Association for Recycling.
“It means jobs,” she said. “It’s economic development, and it means less toxics in our landfills.”
Source: Chieftain.com
By Gail Schwartz