Aspen’s C&D Diversion Rule, What Manufacturers Need

What the Aspen rule actually requires

Beginning February 13, 2025, city‑permitted projects that disturb more than 2,000 square feet must separate all recoverable materials like concrete, untreated lumber, metals, cardboard, organics, porcelain, asphalt, rock and dirt, and single‑stream recyclables. Projects must meet at least 50 percent diversion by final inspection to qualify for a deposit refund, with diversion tracked in Green Halo. The city cites that 53 percent of landfill inputs are building materials and more than half of that could be recycled locally (City of Aspen, 2025) (City of Aspen, 2025).

Money mechanics that move behavior

Aspen requires a Construction and Demolition Debris Diversion Deposit calculated as (Construction Mitigation square feet x 0.05) x 495 dollars. The city can also apply an Unsorted Load Fee of 495 dollars per ton for mixed loads that throw recoverables into trash. Both are administered through the Green Halo workflow and reviewed at final. The formula and fee are set out in the city’s Engineering guidance (City of Aspen Engineering, 2026) (City of Aspen Engineering, 2026).

Where the tons go, and why that matters to specs

Pitkin County’s Solid Waste Center accepts separated recoverables and posts prices that reward sorting. Clean concrete is 45 dollars per ton, pallets and untreated wood are 45 dollars per ton, while unsorted construction debris is listed at 252 dollars per ton. Scrap metal is free. That price spread makes on‑site sorting attractive for GCs and subs, especially on big demos (Pitkin County SWC, 2026) (Pitkin County SWC, 2026).

The EPD angle, plain and simple

EPDs do not replace diversion plans, but they make compliance easier and specs cleaner. Clear end‑of‑life modeling, recycled content disclosures, and take‑back options reduce guesswork for contractors recording weights in Green Halo. When a product’s EPD documents recyclable pathways and mass per unit, project teams can estimate containers and hauling more accurately, then verify with scale tickets. That saves time at submittals and avoids awkward RFIs.

What this means for product strategy

Think of Aspen’s ordinance like a sorting hat from the movies. If your product cannot be easily separated or recycled, it lands in the costly pile. If it is obviously recoverable, it moves to the cheap pile and your spec sticks.

• Publish a product‑specific EPD that includes end‑of‑life scenarios relevant to Colorado’s available recycling streams. Keep units consistent with scale tickets contractors use.
• Provide a one‑page end‑of‑life sheet that shows which bin your product belongs in, what contaminants to avoid, and contact details for acceptance sites or take‑back.
• Add weight‑per‑unit tables to cut spreadsheet friction. A GC entering recylcing weights needs fast conversions, not guesswork.

Timing, thresholds, and proof

The city set a 50 percent minimum diversion for deposit returns and lists an average 66 percent diversion on similar county projects since 2021. Those points appear directly on the city’s C&D page, which staff will use when reviewing Green Halo submittals at final inspection (City of Aspen, 2025).

Picking the right LCA and EPD partner

Manufacturers win when the hard parts are handled. Look for a team that will drive cross‑plant data collection, normalize units, map your bill of materials to LCI datasets, and produce EPDs that align with the PCR competitors already use. Ask for a project plan that fits sales timelines, not the other way around. The fewer spreadsheets your engineers must touch, the faster your declaration ships and the sooner it influences specs.

What to watch next

The city may update fee levels and accepted material lists as markets evolve, and LEED v5 is tightening the frame around construction waste outcomes. Keep your EPDs current, keep the end‑of‑life sheet simple, and keep channels open with local recyclers so your spec reads like a plan instead of a promise.