Town knows overflow garbage was an issue this weekend

July is a beast and not just for trash…

By Mark Reaman

More than a few people noticed the stacks of trash littering Elk Avenue as the Fourth of July weekend rolled on. Trash cans overflowed with garbage and by Sunday, people had stacked the trash on top of the cans when there was no more room inside the containers.

The issue was briefly addressed at the July 7 town council meeting and town manager Dara MacDonald explained it was a super busy weekend and Waste Management emptied all the trash compacting cans Friday and again on Monday, but it wasn’t enough given the large number of visitors. She said town staff doesn’t have the capability to empty the so-called Big Belly compacting trash cans given the weight when they are full.

Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails director Janna Hansen said her department simply doesn’t have the systems that can accommodate the significant increase in visitors the town gets in July.

“Last year we had 125,000 visitors here in July. Current daily numbers have been higher than last year per the Chamber’s most recent newsletter,” she noted. “This number does not consider the many part-time residents that are also here in July. In June last year we had 73,000 visitors. That is a 71% increase in visitors from June to July. 

“As I’m sure you remember, we struggled with overflowing trash in July with our old bear-proof cans that the Parks department staff emptied before we had the Big Belly compacting cans,” Hansen continued. “We emptied them twice a day seven days a week and they were still overflowing the next day throughout July.”

So, the town purchased 24 Big Bellies in 2022 for their compaction feature and the fact that they hold five times the capacity of the old bear-proof containers. Hansen said however, these are too heavy for the Parks staff to empty so Crested Butte hired Waste Management for this service. “Waste Management is emptying them three days a week, which works well Monday through Friday, but they do not have the staff to work weekends, so the cans get hammered between the Friday and Monday services.”  

Town does not require the Chamber to provide trash service for the Fourth of July, thus trash cans get extra hammered due to the increase in people on Elk Avenue for that event. “We find that campers also regularly drop their kitchen trash at our cans before leaving town. We have provided a dumpster at the Four-Way in years’ past for just this purpose but found that the doors were not being locked and bears were strewing trash around the neighbors’ yards and the Four-Way lot,” Hansen said. “The dumpsters were abused with people dropping mattresses, construction trash, furniture, you name it.”

Hansen noted the big visitor numbers don’t just impact garbage on Elk Avenue. “It is nigh on impossible to turn left and head south out of town from Red Lady Avenue without nice people giving you a break in the traffic. Clark’s Market can’t stock the shelves fast enough to avoid the look of a locust swarm. The porta potty we provide on Fifth Street behind the museum has been overflowing on Monday mornings for the first time since we started putting one there. This issue is not for lack of budget. We are not unique in our struggles. Some Colorado municipalities are doing away with public trash service due to the cost and management issues. This has been a hot topic at Parks and Rec conferences that staff has attended.”

In 2024, the town of Crested Butte spent just shy of $124,000 on public trash removal and $7,000 on porta potties. 

Hansen said it isn’t like town staff doesn’t see the trash issue. She said they have been trying to figure out a solution for years but can’t seem to find the proverbial silver bullet. “It feels like an ‘if you build it they will come’ situation where if there is a trashcan provided, it will be full within a day in July,” she said. “I will run a report this week to see which of our Big Bellies are getting the least amount of use, replace them with our old bear-proofs, and put more Big Bellies on Elk Ave. I will talk to the Chamber to see if there is an opportunity to provide event trash collection for the Fourth next year to help supplement the town cans. I will also reach out to our porta potty service provider to see if they are able to increase service to the Museum unit to twice a week. We are working on the problem but right now, sheer numbers are pushing the limits.”