Most casual Aspen restaurants and coffee shops offer bins for patrons to recycle their trash, according to an Aspen Daily News survey of local businesses.

Of the four that do not offer bins for customers, three recycle bottles and cans behind the counter. And of the 12 establishments surveyed, only one, Starbucks Coffee, does not recycle cans and bottles at all.

Many casual establishments do offer bins for customers who want to recycle their cans or bottles. Sandwich shops Grateful Deli, The Big Wrap, Johnny McGuire's, Butcher's Block, Sabra's Deli and Specialty Foods of Aspen offer recycling for customers, as do New York Pizza, Topper's and Tasters Aspen.

Demand for recycling fuels the practices of some businesses.

Katie Clapper, manager of Taster's Aspen, said the restaurant has recycling bins available both in the back and for patrons to throw away their own recycling.

"It's because patrons want it," she said. "Everyone asks if we recycle, so we do."

There's another good reason to recycle in Aspen: Residents and businesses are paying for it.

Since a city ordinance mandating recycling went into effect in 2005, Aspen residents and businesses pay for recycling as part of their trash fee. Excluding those whose contracts have not yet put them under the ordinance, this means Aspenites pay for recycling whether they use it or not.

In the commercial sector, recycling rates include cardboard, "co-mingled" cans and bottles, office paper and newspapers. These rates vary based on the trash collector. At Waste Solutions, there is a flat rate for recycling for businesses in Aspen built into the trash-collected fee. A representative at Waste Solutions said the price is about $5 per month for recycling.

The city ordinance tacks on another cost in an area where it is already expensive to run a business. But many managers said it is worth the value of recycling.

"We're just doing it because we believe in recycling," said Lior Lilah, manager of Sabra's Deli. "If everybody does a little bit, it helps."

He said the deli sells so many cans and bottles that it would be "kind of stupid" not to recycle. The cost of recycling does not affect business much, he said.

Despite paying for recycling collection, a few establishments do not offer bins for customers, although most do recycle behind the counter.

Ashley Cantrell, who runs Aspen's recycling program, said there are a few reasons businesses might not offer bins for patrons. For one, some residents and businesses have not yet come into the ordinance. In 2005, many waste management companies went to their customers and offered contracts for the next three years that would not include the price of recycling, she said.

"It has actually been helpful because we've had people phased in," said Cantrell, adding that 120 homes and businesses will come into the ordinance in October.

Another reason could be that they are not aware of the ordinance, although Cantrell said she notes who does not recycle and tries to speak to them about the ordinance and help them find spaces for bins.

Most of the casual establishments that did not offer recycling bins for customers were coffee shops. Starbucks Coffee sells plastic bottles and other recyclables but does not offer a place to dispose of them, although manager Heidi Boyden said that could change.

"We recycle cardboard, but that's all we can do," Boyden said. "We don't have tubs for recycling bottles."
   
Boyden said she and her new boss have discussed getting tubs to set out for recycling, but they have to get approval from their building. If they decide to go ahead with these plans, Starbucks could have bins within a few weeks, she said.

Managers at some establishments said they simply do not sell enough recyclable products to have recycling bins. JoAnna Quick, manager of Paradise Bakery, said they recycle behind the counter. Their drinks and ice creams come in waxed paper cups and cookies come in paper bags, so Dasani water bottles are the only item sold that could be recycled, she said.

Paradise Bakery customers do not eat or drink in the cafe itself, which is too small to hold tables. Most customers sit outside to eat their food, where city of Aspen recycling bins are available. Zele Café takes a similar approach to recycling: They recycle behind the counter, but patrons must take their bottles and cans to a city of Aspen bin directly outside the cafe.

The plastic cups used for cold drinks by coffee shops such as Starbucks, Ink Coffee and Zele are not recyclable in Aspen. Plastic can only be recycled in Aspen if its type No.1 or No. 2. Cups at coffee shops are usually type six or a variation of type one plastic that is not recyclable.

"The general rule of thumb is that if the top is smaller than the bottom, it can be recycled," Cantrell said. "So all your bottles can be recycled."
   

These types of plastics can be recycled in other cities, like Denver, because they have a larger market for the product, she said. Denver has a single-stream recycling system, meaning they can put more types of plastics and cans into the same bins.

"We really just can't recycle them up there because recycling is really all about the market," Cantrell said. "There's no market for it. When you're close to the market and you have a huge amount of recycling like that you can make it work, but we just don't have that."

The list of recyclables in Aspen is unlikely to expand any time soon, so Cantrell said the city is trying to encourage businesses to seek alternatives.

"Some businesses get reusable cups that they can take into the back and wash, or there are paper cups, which are compostable and are a whole lot better," she said. "We just try to educate people about those alternatives."

elise@aspendailynews.com [1]