A BRIGHTER SHADE OF GRASSROOTS GREEN
THE VISION OF A SUSTAINABLE GRAND COUNTY
By Cindy Kleh / Photos by Sarah Blincoe and Carter Photographics

The ear-splitting sound of breaking glass is the first step in the recycling process. Used glass containers are crushed in machines located at grocery and liquor stores, and some of the shards are sent to a local art co-op where artists create glass beads and iridescent bathroom tiles. Much of the broken glass is sent to a nearby factory where it will become colorful kitchen counter surfaces or “glassphalt” to be used on highway projects around the state.

Everyone recycles and carries their own bags to the grocery store. Solar panels line the rooftops and many of the county’s homes have a wind tower or two to generate their own electricity. Almost all of the businesses in Grand County are green-leaning, offering their employees recycling bins at the place where they often drive anyway. Restaurants and resorts save up food scraps for a local composting plant that creates rich, organic topsoil … and Grand County has just won the title of America’s Most Sustainable County of 2025.

Tim Hodsdon dreams of this day all the time; he wonders how we can get there. What are the priorities of this community? How can we get everyone involved?

Hodsdon could continue dreaming, but instead he chose to start up Infinite West, a nonprofit organization dedicated to steering our beautiful county in a sustainable direction, toward a place where wildlife, rivers and humans live in harmony.

The vision of Infinite West also includes the economic health of this region: “How can we transform our trash into useful products and local jobs? Could dead pine trees become an asset? What if we ….?” Hodsdon founded Infinite West to explore those questions with the community.

Gaining Momentum
Although the “green ball” has been slowly picking up steam in Grand County for many years, it was a community-wide recycling and resource workshop organized by Infinite West and Grand Lake’s Shadowcliff that really catalyzed the movement. Bob Mann, director of Shadowcliff, has provided Infinite West and other green groups along the way with professional consultation, support and marketing advice honed over his 25 years of mentoring and facilitating sustainable projects.

The Infinite West booth at Granby's Earth Day celebration. From Left: Tim Hodsdon, founder of Infinite West; Laura Hagar, instrumental in jump-starting the Green Star Program; Marty Tod, member of Infinite West and Energy Opportunities of Grand County; Guy Larson, of Simply Efficient and supporter of Infinite West and solar education.

The turnout for the workshop was surprisingly strong for a frigid day in January, as more than 60 locals managed to attend at least the first of three days. Representatives of ski towns and rural counties similar to Grand as well as trash experts from around the state were invited to share their knowledge and recycling methods.

Participants ranged from county commissioners, mayors and town managers to businesses, resorts and nonprofits. A large number of individual residents, concerned about the recycling situation here and wanting to learn more, came out of the woodwork. Some of them, like Chris Sammons, became leaders.

“I didn’t want this issue to get swept under the rug,” says Sammons, who chairs the new group, Grand Resource & Recycle Coalition (GRRC). “We’re a diverse community. It’s hard to pull together on something, but sustainability is an issue we can all agree on. The biggest misconception is that [recycling] is promoted by ‘tree-huggers’ and ‘greenies.’ We are fifth-generation ranchers. We live off of the land, close to the earth and its natural cycles, and we know we can’t continue in a disposable society.”

The focus of GRRC is education – providing information about drop-off and curbside recycling for common household and office items, and advice on how to recycle other materials such as batteries, electronics and construction waste. GRRC will also look for opportunities to reduce waste in the community, especially ones that strengthen the economy and preserve the environment. Mike Meindl attended the workshop representing the county as the foreman of the now-closed Granby Landfill. He left the position and is now vice chair of GRRC, thinking of new ways to make recycling more convenient for county residents.

“Some businesses, like Winter Park Resort, allow their employees to bring recyclables to work. We’re also looking to HOAs to provide recycling bins.”

Out of GRRC and the hope to get local businesses involved came the Green Star Program, which recognizes local businesses for their efforts in waste reduction and recycling as well as reducing energy and water usage. Best of all, businesses can save money with recommendations from Green Star on how to become more efficient through less waste.

Businesses that want to obtain a Green Star membership must complete a survey and undergo an on-site visit. Members are then promoted through the county’s Chambers of Commerce and through press releases.

“Many businesses are already making great strides in green efforts,” says Laura Hagar, who was instrumental in getting the Green Star Program jump-started. “The Green Star Program will make it possible to measure their efforts and get public recognition for them. We hope the program goes ‘viral’ as the number of member businesses grows, putting peer pressure on other businesses to get involved.”

Liz McIntyre has been a champion of sustainable issues in Grand County for many years. She has been appointed by the GEO to head up a Regional Energy Plan Team for Grand and Jackson Counties.

A grant will help GRRC fund stipends for two interns to get the Green Star Program up and running in Grand County. Shadowcliff will provide room and board to one of the interns. Watch for more information on the program as it gets officially launched in the near future.

Green Champions
A Granby resident whose name is never far from any discussion regarding recycling and alternative energy is Liz McIntyre, who has recently taken on a new job heading up a Regional Energy Plan Team for Grand and Jackson Counties. Becky McBride of BEDA (Grand County Business and Economic Development Association) joined forces with McIntyre and the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) to get more of the “New Energy Economy” federal stimulus dollars into Grand County.

McIntyre will have operating funds from the GEO grant to last until 2012, and will work with local nonprofits to develop a plan for renewable, clean energy options.

Much of her job encompasses education – getting the word out to locals about how they can reduce their carbon footprint. For example, she directs interested people to the Recharge Colorado website where they can plug in a zip code and energy providers, and see all the rebates and tax credits available to them. Rechargecolorado.com holds a world of information on saving energy in the home and in businesses, including the cost, energy savings and level of technical difficulty of each project. The website also lists contractors in the area who do the work.

The Infinite West “Umbrella”
Although all of the aforementioned groups have a similar mission – to foster self-sufficiency and economic stability through green awareness, recycling and alternative energy sources – Infinite West acts as an “umbrella” that encompasses all of their individual goals while keeping an eye on the bigger picture: the economic viability of our community for generations to come.

“I like to think of all of the green groups as a ‘sustainability family,’” explains the founder of Infinite West. “We have a symbiotic relationship that relies on networking and supporting each others’ causes. Together, amazing things are getting done! It’s hard to hear all of the individual voices, but as a united front we can foster economic growth while preserving our mountain lifestyle and defending our natural environment.”

“It’s the responsiblilty of all of us citizens to give guidance to our local government instead of labeling government as ‘THEM,’” Hodsdon adds. “We’re all in this together. We live in an incredible part of the world – in the headwaters of one of the greatest rivers on this planet. It’s our responsibility to steward those resources.”

With grassroots green movements like Infinite West and all of the offshoots of Hodsdon’s vision, maybe a sustainable community by 2025 is not so far-fetched. But it can only happen if we roll up our sleeves and work together.

WEB EXTRA:
Sustainable Steps - Local Recycling Options
Did you know...
• Mountain Parks Electric has donated electric kilowatt meters to the Granby, Fraser, Grand Lake and Kremmling Libraries. Library card holders can check out the Kill-A-Watt meters to measure the amount of energy certain appliances use.

• BEDA offers information for do-it-yourself energy audits.

• Waste Management provides a recycling drop-off in Hot Sulphur Springs free for Waste Management customers.

• Valley Recycling offers a recycling drop-off in Parshall and this is offered free to all Grand County residents. VR takes a wide range of plastics, glass, paper, metal and commercial recyclables.

• Curbside recycling is available to homes and small businesses through curbsidegrandcounty.com.

• Kopy Kat Office provides free recycling of ink cartridges and packing peanuts.

• Fraser Ace Hardware offers free recycling of CFL bulbs, rechargable batteries and thermostats.

• Shadowcliff is hosting the Better World Workshop July 25-29 to discuss sustainability with the authors of The Better World Handbook.

• Infinite West is collaborating with the town of Grand Lake to present a Sustainable Round Table Series to start this summer. They will also be meeting at Snow Mountain Ranch the third Thursday of each month starting in August.

• Infinite West is also involved in water conservation issues and supports groups such as Save The Fraser River and Keep Grand Lake Blue. Sustainable agriculture, “buy local” programs, range land conservation and the replanting of our forests are also core causes for IW.

READ MORE STORIES FROM THIS ISSUE:
• Green Parade: Rendezvous Home Provides a Healthy Happy Retreat
• Green Parade: Smart Growth at Grand Park
• Green Parade: Consider an Energy Audit
• Restaurant: Morales Farms on the Menu
• Summer 2010 Articles