CHaRM: Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials

NEW LOCATION!
6400 Arapahoe Rd, co-located with ReSource

Eco-Cycle Offices and CHaRM: Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials at 6400 Arapahoe

NEW CHaRM HOURS:
Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 4pm

Accepted payment methods:
Cash, check, and any credit cards other than Diner's Club

PLEASE READ --
For those who drive to the CHaRM heading east on Arapahoe:

We are located on the south side of Arapahoe Rd. just east of 63rd street. At the intersection of Arapahoe and 63rd, the right lane turns into a bus lane only. You must merge left before crossing 63rd st. or you may get a ticket! After crossing 63rd, you will soon approach the CHaRM on the right-hand side. At that point, you can turn into the right lane and then make a right into our facility.

Jump to CHaRM Guidelines and Prices

MAP OF NEW LOCATION AND BOULDER'S
"RECYCLE ROW"

What is the CHaRM?

CHaRM opened in 2001 and was the first facility of its kind in the nation. It collects unusual materials like electronics and plastic bags for recycling and reuse.

We work with Electronics Recyclers International, who are e-Steward Certified with the Basel Action Network. Learn more about why recycling electronics responsibly is important.

New Colorado Electronics Landfill Ban Goes into Effect July 1, 2013. Learn more about the ban.

The CHaRM is funded in part by city of Boulder trash tax dollars.

CHaRM Guidelines and Prices

CHaRM on the Road services for Businesses

Why is there a $3 facility fee?

How can I avoid the $3 fee?

Our Commitment: Recycling Electronics Responsibly

Why recycle electronics

What happens to CHaRM materials?

Donate Books to Children in Need at the CHaRM

CHaRM Business Services

Print CHaRM Guidelines

CHaRM Collection Events in Other Communities

CHaRM Guidelines and Prices

Eco-Cycle charges a $3 fee for every vehicle coming to the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) to recycle materials. The fee is in addition to the recycling fees that apply to specific materials like electronics, bike tires and porcelain.

Accepted payment methods:
Cash, check, and any credit cards other than Diner's Club

NOTE: For folks outside our region, please don't mail us CHaRM materials! While we so appreciate your commitment to recycling unusual materials, the environmental impact of shipping the items will probably outweigh the envrionmental benefits of recycling them. Please visit www.earth911.com for recycling opportunities closer to you.

> View and print CHaRM prices and guidelines (PDF)

> Electronics

> Hard-to-Recycle Plastics

> Scrap Metal, Single-Stream Recycling and Compost

Electronics

Samsung Consumer Electronics

• Accepted at no charge (except $3 facility fee).

• Samsung has made the CHaRM an official partner in its voluntary manufacturer takeback program by paying the recycling costs of Samsung consumer electronic products, an example of Extended Producer Responsibility.

Audio Equipment

• Home Stereo Components: $8

• Car Stereos: $4

Computers & Computer Equipment

• Computer Monitors 19” or smaller: $10

• Computer Monitors 20” to 34”: $15

• Computer Towers/CPUs: $8

• Printers/Scanners: $8

• Laptops: $4

• Universal Power Supply (UPS): $8

• Keyboards, Mice, Cables

• Large* misc. computer equip.: 30¢/lb.

*More than 40 lbs.

Copiers & Fax Machines

• Fax Machines: $8

• Desktop Copiers: $8

• Large Copiers (over 40lbs.): 30¢/lb

Phones

• Cell Phones

• Office Phones: $4

• Home Phones: $2

Printer Cartridges

• Ink Jet and Laser Jet Printer Cartridges

Small Electronic Items

• Digital cameras: $2

• PDAs, iPads, tablets

• Video Game Systems: $4 - $8

(depending on size)

TVs & VCRs/DVD Players

• TVs 19” or smaller: $10

• Mid-Size TVs 20” to 34”: $15

• Consoles and TVs larger than 34”: $30

• VCRs/DVD Players: $8

• Satellite Boxes: $8

Plastics

Plastic Bags & Bubble Wrap

• Includes plastic shopping and newspaper bags, ziplock bags, dry cleaner bags and bubble wrap

• MUST be clean, dry, and empty of all food, receipts, etc. with tape and stickers removed

• NO plastic food wrap or black bags; no packing peanuts or foam wrap

#6 White Block Foam Packaging

• #6 White Block Foam Packaging and Rigid Foam Insulation only

• Businesses: $6 per cubic yard

• NO packing peanuts, "Styrofoam" (polystyrene) cups, “to-go” boxes, meat trays or any other food-grade styrofoam, moisture or tape

NEW: Small Plastic Appliances

View and save full guidelines and pricing for recycling small plastic appliances. Abbreviated guidelines are below.

Our flat CHaRM facility entrance fee of $3 applies to these hard-to-recycle plastic appliances, in addition to the fees outlined below. These fees help us cover the costs we incur for processing these materials, which are similar to the complex processes used to recycle electronics.

*must have electric- or battery-powered (i.e. have cords or batteries)*

• Handheld: $1 – designed to be held in one hand, such as a walkie-talkie, electric toothbrush, blow dryer, curling iron, handheld electric mixer, electric knife, DustBuster, etc.

• Small: $2 – Up to the size of a standard slow cooker, including a standard coffee maker, coffee grinder, upright blender, food processor, clock radio, small fan, etc.

• Medium: $4 – Up to the size of a standard upright or canister vacuum, including a big plastic room fan, portable swamp cooler, etc.

• Large: $8 – Any other item that weighs more than 13 pounds that could be called a small appliance, such as a a shop vac or carpet steamer.

• Extra-Large: $0.30/lb. – All other small appliances with plugs or batteries that weigh more than 20 pounds.

• NO vacuum bags, glass (coffee pots, blenders, etc.), or food or liquid residue

View an extensive list of the types of small plastic appliances we can recycle at the CHaRM.

Big Durable #2 Plastics

• Large plastics such as Big Wheels® and plastic play structures, plastic lawn furniture, plastic watering cans, laundry baskets, clean plastic buckets (no residue), crates, rigid backyard kiddie pools and plastic trash containers.

• Must be the size of a five-gallon bucket or larger but must also be less than 4 feet by 4 feet (can be cut to meet these dimensions).

• In some cases, these plastics may not be marked with a #2, so look for them

to be opaque with a matte finish and hollow inside. They are made with a

mold, so will likely have a seam where two halves were joined.

• Non-plastic parts must be removed, including straps, padding and fabric. Items requiring disassembly will be charged a $5 fee.

• NO flower pots without a #2, inflatable pools or other inflatable plastics, water beds, chew toys, CD jewel cases, small toys such as action figures, etc.

Coroplast Political Yard Signs (corrugated plastic)

• $3 facility fee applies

• metal stands can be recycled as scrap metal at the CHaRM at no extra charge

Bicycles & Parts

Bicycles and Bike Parts

Any Condition

• Includes integral parts such as seats, pedals, handlebars, wheels, etc. and metal accessories such as baskets and Pannier racks

• NO other accessories or sporting goods

Bike Tires & Tubes

• $.50 per bike tire

• Puncture-resistant or slime tubes should be kept separately

• NO automotive or other tires

Miscellaneous

Books & Manuals

• Computer and Office Manuals

• Hard-Bound Books and Paperbacks

*Call for quantities one pallet and larger

*There is no fee to drop off books. Learn about our Book Reuse Project

Cooking Oil

• Includes canola, corn, vegetable, olive and sesame oils

• NO motor oil or any oil used for purposes other than cooking.

Fire Extinguishers

• Boulder Residents with ID: No additional charge

• Non-Boulder Residents: $4

Paper Shredding Service

• Paper materials only

• $10 per file box

Eco-Cycle provides a locked bin for residents and businesses to drop off documents for shredding at the CHaRM. A mobile shredding company comes every other Friday to shred the papers. We do not offer certificates of destruction. Vehicles that come to CHaRM are charged $3.00 per visit in addition to any per item fees. Call 303-444-6634 for more information or visit www.ecocycle.org/charm.

Small quantities of paper that is already shredded is also accepted as compost at the CHaRM. The facility fee will apply.

ZERO WASTE TIP: Rip it, Don’t Shred It!

Please avoid shredding paper whenever possible. Shredding shortens the paper fibers and therefore cuts the recycled life of paper in half. Instead, consider ripping off sensitive elements of your documents and shredding or ripping only that piece, leaving the rest of the page whole.

See shred recycling guidelines and more tips for reducing shredded paper.

Shred Events

Check wtih your bank or credit union to see if they offer free shredding events or services. They may also shred banking items by request.

Western Disposal offers free paper shredding for customers. Learn more.

Toilets, Sinks, Urinals and other Ceramics

• Toilet, porcelain only (all other non-porcelain materials removed): $6.75/unit

• Toilet, whole (other materials still attached): $12.75/unit

• Sink or urinal, porcelain only: $3.50/unit

• Sink or urinal, plumbing attached: $6.50/unut

• Porcelain with biohazards will NOT be accepted.

• Other ceramics such as ceramic tile and pottery: $.07/lb

• Clean concrete (no metal or rocks) accepted in pickup quantities or less: $.07/lb

• NO glass, rebar, tile backing material, or other non-ceramics.

Yoga Mats

• Plastic foam, rubber foam and jute mats: $1/each

• NO badly soiled or smelly mats

• NO Tatami or other grass mats

Textiles

Clothing, Towels, Sheets, Fabrics, Paired Reusable Shoes

• No mud

• Items may be stained or ripped, but they must be clean. Must be 12” square or larger.

• NO underwear, bathing suits, or socks

Scrap Metal, Single-Stream Recycling & Compost

Scrap Metal

• Items without Freon®: no charge

• Items WITH Freon®: $15

Items that contain Freon® must, by state law, have the Freon chemicals removed by a professional before disposal. The $15 fee helps the CHaRM cover these costs. Items with Freon include refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and freezers.

NO oil or fuel in motors, batteries, or propane canisters. Electronics are not scrap metal but can be recycled at the CHaRM for a fee.

Single-Stream Recycling

Single-stream recycling is accepted at the CHaRM for no charge. Learn more about what's accepted in single-stream recycling.

Compost

CHaRM accepts food scraps, soiled paper and Zero Waste event supplies. Click here for full guidelines.

A small charge helps us offset the cost of the program:

Less than 5 gallons compost, no other CHaRM materials - free with a $1 facility use fee
Less than 5 gallons compost w/other CHaRM materials - compost is free, charge $3 facility use fee
5 gallons to 32 gallons (1/2 toter) compost: $5 + $3 facility use fee
$10 per 64 gallon toter of compost, + $3 facility use fee
$30 per cubic yard + $3 facility use fee

Why is there a $3 facility fee?

The CHaRM is financially subsidized by three partners: the city of Boulder, Eco-Cycle and dedicated recyclers like you. In these difficult economic times, the city of Boulder and Eco-Cycle are not able to cover the cost increases for CHaRM services without you, our third partner.

The benefit of the facility fee is economic and environmental. Some visitors to the CHaRM come in a virtually empty car just to drop off a bit of white block foam or a small bundle of plastic bags. We don’t want the environmental gains of the CHaRM to be negated by the carbon emissions of vehicles, so our hope is that the fee will encourage recyclers to economize their trips to the CHaRM by storing their materials until they have one big load.

THREE WAYS TO SAVE on the facility fee at the CHaRM:

We know times are hard for you, too, so we have three suggestions for saving on the facility fee.

> Frequent Recycler Card: Purchase this virtual card that gives you five trips for $10, saving $1 per visit. The card doesn’t expire, and we keep a record of it at the CHaRM, so it’s Zero Waste and you won’t lose it.

> Carpool: Pool your materials together with your neighbors’ and friends’, so you only have to pay one facility fee.

> Bike it in: If you are one of the many recyclers who visit us on a bike, you will not be charged a facility fee. The CHaRM is right by the junction of the Goose Creek Path and the Boulder Creek Path, so it’s easy to get to us. (Fees to recycle specific materials, such as electronics, bike tires and porcelain, will still apply.)

There will be no charge for customers dropping off only single-stream recycling or scrap metal.

CHaRM Collection Events in Other Communities

Typically once a year or more, Eco-Cycle offers residents of Boulder County the opportunity to drop off, at their local recycling center, hard-to-recycle materials typically accepted only at the CHaRM. We call these events "Hard-to-Recycle Round-Ups."

Hard-to-Recycle Round-Ups for 2014

LAFAYETTE:

~~May 17,~~ Oct 4
9 am – 1 pm
Lafayette City Service Center: 1700 Avalon Avenue (Corner of Avalon Avenue & Distel Drive)

SUPERIOR:

(past event) ~~May 3~~
~~9 am – 12 pm~~
~~405 Center Dr, Superior CO~~

LONGMONT:

~~March 29,~~ June 21, September 13
9 am – 1 pm
Longmont Waste Diversion Center, 140 Martin St.

Please view a full list of prices above.

Call Eco-Cycle at 303-772-7300 for more information.

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter to receive email reminders about a hard-to-recycle collection in your community.

Materials collected during hard-to-recycle events cannot be left at drop-off centers other than the CHaRM at any other time. The CHaRM facility in Boulder is open to all residents and businesses, regardless of origin, so if you can't make the next hard-to-recycle roundup or you need to recycle any of these materials throughout the year, you are always welcome to do so at the CHaRM.