Superior Sustainability Newsletter - March 2023

Welcome to the Superior Sustainability newsletter!

Spring is here, and as signs of life start to emerge outside, we’re thinking about gardening, clean soil, and celebrating this beautiful season. The Town of Superior has some great incentives to help with your yard this year, as well as some free offerings like compost for your garden. We’re also teeing up the many great events and offerings coming up all month long for Earth Month in April! As always, thanks for being a part of making Superior a sustainable, resilient, and vibrant community.

- Town of Superior Sustainability Team

Mark your calendars, the annual event is back! This year, we are combining the hard to recycle and hazardous waste collection and the gas mower take back events into one great offering. Superior residents are invited to participate in the Hard to Recycle, Household Hazardous Waste, and Mower Take Back event on April 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Eldorado K-8 School (3351 S Indiana St., Superior). To reduce wait times, registration is required.  

Some items that residents can drop off for FREE include:

• Household batteries please use clear tape on both terminal ends and ensure there are no leaks
• Fluorescent tubes and bulbs (straight tubes and CFLs) 
• Plastic Film bubble wrap, plastic shopping bags, Ziploc bags. Film must be empty, clean, and dry with stickers and receipts removed. No plastic food wrap. 
• Paint (latex, oil-based and aerosols) 
• Computers, laptops, cell phones, and tablets
• Household chemicals
• Gas Powered mowers

More information, including a link to the full list of accepted materials and costs (where applicable) are on the Hard to Recycle and Mower Take Back calendar page. This event is hosted by the Town in partnership with Eco-Cycle, Boulder County Hazardous Waste, the Regional Air Quality Council, and ACE Hardware.

The City of Lafayette, Louisville, Town of Superior, and City and County of Broomfield are hosting a virtual and free Sustainability Film Series. Four films will be screened over the course of four months, April through July, covering topics such as plastic pollution, climate change, water conservation, and youth activism. The series kicks off April 20 with "Youth v Gov" hosted by the City of Lafayette with a post-film discussion led by youth activist Leala Lakota Pourier.

Guardian Storage is holding a free Shred-It event for residents on Saturday, April 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Guardian Storage located at 1555 S. 76th St. in Superior. Limit of 5 file boxes per person. Please remove all binder clips. Paper clips, staples, and window envelopes can be shredded.

The only request is a voluntary cash donation or a school supplies donation to benefit a local education non-profit organization.

Superior's 2023 Arbor Day Celebration is scheduled for April 29, 2023. The event will take place at the Superior Commons athletic field (2250 Creek View Way) in Downtown Superior near Coal Creek from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Town is taking applications for volunteers, and local vendors, programs, and businesses interested in supporting our tree-hugging event, please visit the event page to apply.

Feds agree landmark climate case against Suncor and Exxon should stay in local courts

New tax credits for heat pumps, electric vehicles part of Colorado’s latest push toward clean energy

On February 28, A1 Organics announced changes to the compost guidelines for all communities within the state using their services. At this time, A1 Organics is the only large-scale regional compost manufacturer for the Front Range; all large waste haulers bring collected compost there to be processed. These changes mean that you will see shifts in what is accepted in your home bin if you subscribe to compost, when you go to local businesses that offer compostable items, and at Town events.

Starting on April 1, guidelines for compost will be very simple: food waste and yard & plant trimming ONLY. These changes mean that items no longer accepted in commercial compost bins include large compostable bin liners, paper towels or other paper products, and compostable servicewear (plates, cups, utensils etc.). Full guideline and justifications for these changes are outlined in A1’s press release.

As the Town looks towards solutions for events and facilities, we will be prioritizing solutions around reducing and reusing first, including reducing the use of disposable single-use products regardless of whether they are compostable or recyclable. Please note that compost for dog waste at the dog parks will not be affected as it is specially processed through a different company.

As a community, we can support these shifts to help build healthy soils that we would all be happy to use on our home gardens or at our parks by keeping anything that is not food or yard waste out of the compost stream. The resulting clean compost will help absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reduce water and chemical use, and grow nutritious foods. Thanks for doing your part!

All of Colorado’s K-12 students are invited to showcase their artistic talent and commitment to composting by participating in Recycle Colorado’s 16th Annual Poster Contest. This year's theme is Colorado Loves Clean Compost. One first place winner from each age group will receive a $100 gift card. Entries are due by April 14.

Artwork from 2022 contest by Donniven De La Cruz, a 7th grader at Aurora Online School.

Wednesday, April 5:  High Altitude Gardening Join accomplished master gardener Mike McNulty to discuss challenges and considerations of gardening at high altitudes. This event is free, virtual, and will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Registration is required.

Tuesday, April 11: Navigating your HOA during a Xeriscape Conversation Join HOA expert Chris Marion to learn the legal limitations of HOAs and tips and resources for approaching them when removing turf and installing xeriscape in your yard. This free event will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and is virtual. Registration is required.

The snow is beginning to melt and sunny days make us think about breaking out the gardening gloves. One amazing local resource the Town provides is free high-quality compost available at the Superior Yard Waste Site. Compost helps your garden retain moisture and supports healthy plants. Any Superior resident can stop by the Yard Waste Recycling Facility during their open hours to receive compost for their yard. There is a limited amount of compost available on a first-come first-served basis – please be prepared to show identification with a Superior address.

Looking to make some changes in your yard? The Town of Superior and Resource Central have teamed up to offer a new flexible Lawn Replacement Program to help you save money and water. Get free plants when you remove lawn or hire Resource Central’s expert team to do the work for you. Superior residents are eligible for up to $500 in incentives!

Thinking about turning on your sprinklers? Remember to dial back the water flow on your system when you turn it back on if it is still at summer levels. If you need help optimizing your system, the Town sponsors Slow the Flow for residents to get free sprinkler evaluations.

Are you enjoying the Sustainability newsletter? Did you know that the Town also sends a Historical Commission, Parks & Recreation, and Superior Sentinel newsletter? You can also subscribe to receive Superior Community Center updates, Town Board information, Marshall Fire news, and more. For more information and to view your preferences, visit the Town's email subscription page.