Article by: Isabel Lisle, C4 Sustainability Program Manager

Date: December, 5, 2024

Robin Ekau-Moody, Lake County’s Landfill and Recycling Foreman, gave Cloud City Conservation Center an informative tour of the County’s recycling facilities a few weeks ago to answer this question. She shared some important information for both community residents and businesses around proper waste management and disposal.

Lake County is fortunate to have a dedicated leader like Robin managing the Landfill and Recycling Center. Robin deserves recognition for the amount of work she does to make sure that Lake County waste is sorted and disposed of property. Originally from Hawaii, Robin moved to New Jersey in her early twenties, where she began her career as a housekeeper in a hospital. She later attended EMT school and spent 11 years serving in the emergency room, eventually rising to the position of director. After her time in New Jersey, Robin moved to Colorado to be closer to her sister and work as a training manager for Family Dollar locations across the state. Shortly after, she took a part-time position at the Landfill and Recycling Center in Leadville, where she quickly fell in love with the town and its community. Over time, she began making small changes to improve the Landfill and Recycling Center’s operational systems, and soon she was promoted to manager. Needless to say, Robin has drive, passion, and dedication to becoming a leader in her career.

“Hauling a truckload of recycling from Lake County to Denver costs $1,200 per trip, and currently, there is only one truck driver available for the task. Fortunately, each type of recyclable material generates a small fee, helping the recycling center offset this expense.”
*Robin urges residents and businesses to sort their recycling and bring it directly up to the Recycling Center.*

Lake County Recycling Center

Recycling Bales

*Robin outlines some of the challenges the recycling center faces in Lake County, and solutions for customers.*
She encourages residents and businesses to maintain consistent recycling habits, as recycling aluminum, glass, and cardboard not only supports the sustainability of the recycling center but also provides a financial benefit to Lake County by ensuring the operation continues to run smoothly.

E-Waste with a view

Lake County Recycling Center

Robin explains her vision for improving the County’s recycling facilities based on her experience and expertise in the field. “I would love to take recycling and composting to the next level,” Robin reveals. She describes a two acre expansion of the property that would house more sturdy infrastructure, the recycling of e-waste, and an in-vessel composting system.

She would love to see “a single stream MERF system with machinery designed to separate trash from recycling.” This would enable her and her team to avoid manual sorting, enhance efficiency, and allow residents to participate in single-stream recycling in Lake County. Chaffee County recently secured a grant to establish a MERF in Salida, Colorado. Robin suggests that Lake County could even serve as a transfer station, transporting recycling to Salida instead of Denver. The County may consider applying for future grants or funding to enhance the recycling center's infrastructure and expand staff capacity.

Is it worth it to recycle in Lake County?