Walking down one of Denver's alleys on trash collection day is a much different experience today than it was just six years ago. Where once stood the occasional recycling bin surrounded by a phalanx of trash containers now stands a trio of carts, lined up like colorful sentinels protecting the city's alleys from waste. Green carts are designated for compost, purple carts are for recycling, and black carts collect trash. To tell the story of how one of the country's largest cities got to this point, one needs to go back to 2008, when Denver started a composting program. Since then, the City nearly stopped the effort, re-gained momentum, and has now doubled the size of the organics initiative for two years straight, all while battling low MSW tip fees, no user fees and a lack of funding.
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