CEDC – Colorado's Circular Economy Development Center Website

The Circular Economy Development Center

Innovative, Collaborative Circular Solutions Built for Colorado

Advancing Business Development in Colorado: Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Circular Economy

Every year, Americans throw out approximately 300 million tons of products—and just a fraction of those products are revitalized, recycled, and/or reused. That figure likely includes your product(s), along with thousands of others that were thrown out well before the end of their usable lifespan.

So, consider this: you know where your product’s life cycle begins, but where does it end? For many business owners, that’s not an easy question to answer—and that’s why we’re here.

The Circular Economy Development Center is dedicated to helping Colorado’s businesses transition toward a more sustainable future, achieve the maximum value from their products, and ultimately, reimagine the relationship between our economy and the environment.

A better future for products (and the planet) starts with you. Keep reading to learn more about the CEDC, what we do, and how we’re helping Colorado’s industry move toward a circular economy.

Our Key Objectives

1 Create circular economy solutions for three materials in Colorado.

Working with companies to create or expand end markets for materials currently being recycled or to start diverting materials currently going to landfills by: designing the solution, aligning the stakeholders, coordinating the execution of the plan, and developing grant proposals in alignment with the solution.

Image source: Circular Colorado

2 Engage with stakeholders state-wide, creating physical and virtual spaces for collaboration and innovation.

Creating sustainable, circular economies requires a holistic approach. We aim to work closely with stakeholders (statewide and regionally) to provide a platform for business collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving.

3 Analyze markets and supply chains, including transportation and manufacturing, to show how materials flow within Colorado and regionally.

Understanding regional markets and supply chains is critical to identifying opportunities for circularity. We will complete a gap analysis that focuses on commodity movement, Colorado’s manufacturing opportunities, local and regional end markets, and business development prospects.

What is a Circular Economy?

Circular Economy: An industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by design. In other words, a circular business model uses resources efficiently and prioritizes renewable inputs.

Circular economies maximize a product’s usable lifespan to achieve maximum value. At the end of the product’s life, the product and any by-products in its manufacturing are recovered and reused to make new materials or products.

In a circular economy, products are no longer designed to have a life cycle with a distinct beginning, middle, and end.

Designers and business owners play an essential role in choosing materials that are fit for the circular economy. Not all materials are suitable for use in circular products because they contain chemicals that may be polluting or potentially hazardous for humans and/or the environment.

Similarly, recyclers, waste disposal professionals, and many others are vital to the success of a circular economy, particularly when it comes to keeping products out of our landfills.

What is the Circular Economy Development Center?

The Circular Economy Development Center is a program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment aimed at empowering and facilitating connections between sectors in Colorado and regionally to create circular economy solutions using materials that Coloradans recycle.

In other words, we aim to provide circular solutions and to foster the round-table discussions that lead us there. We’re not here to “paint with a broad brush.” We engage and work closely with stakeholders to mediate solutions that work for our businesses, communities, and environment alike.

Ultimately, our goal is to create individual, scalable pathways toward circular economies—and step one is creating beneficial collaboration and innovation between Colorado businesses.

Our mission: We assist companies striving for circularity by helping them advance their business or locate to Colorado.

What We Do

The Circular Economy Development Center is the nucleus of circular solutions. Focused on business, the Circular Economy Development Center helps companies transform wasteful linear consumption models to circular ones through:

The Circular Economy Development Center provides guidance, access to resources and technical assistance and funding (when available) to generate and support circular-economic development.

Interested in Establishing or Expanding Your Own Circular Solution in Colorado?

We’re here to help! Click the link below to connect with our team and tell us about your circular solution.

Circular Economy and Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) plays a critical role in a circular economy—these concepts are connected.

Extended Producer Responsibility is defined as…

“An environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle.”

– The Organization for Economic Collaboration and Development (OECD)

The development of extended producer responsibility (EPR) encourages the development of circular business models by directly involving manufacturers in end-of-life solutions for the products they make.

Click here to learn more about EPR in the state of Colorado.

Who We Work With & How to Get Involved

Developing a more sustainable standard of business is a group effort—it takes all of us to create meaningful change. We’re committed to getting as many stakeholders involved as possible.

If you represent any of the following sectors, we would love to hear from you! All of these sectors (and more) play a pivotal role in helping create circular economies.

Recyclers

Manufacturers

Transporters

Rural Communities

Federal, State & Local Governments

Higher Education

Economic Development Programs

Funders and Investors

Convening can happen virtually, but the richest interactions are most often in person. Our vision for the CEDC is to branch out and work with partners and collaborators to create satellite work spaces to foster innovation, workshops, strategic planning, and community connection.

Take Part in Growing Colorado’s Circular Economies

Are you interested in establishing or expanding a circular solution in Colorado? Could your circular solution benefit from the CEDC’s expertise in project management and network building?

If so, CEDC staff would welcome the opportunity to learn more about your project. Click the link below to connect with our team and tell us about your circular solution.

Our Partners

Analysis & Assessment

Stakeholder Facilitation

Partnerships

R&D Higher Education

Technical Assistance

Thank You Circular Colorado Founding Supporters

Target Markets

The Center will explore public-private partnerships to leverage the strength of both sectors and help provide economies of scale to expand a circular economy.

The goal of the CEDC is to expand three end markets that already exist in Colorado and create three new end markets in Colorado. Watch for more information as the CEDC pursues these goals

Funding

The Circular Economy Development Center was established by the Colorado state legislature via HB22-1159 to grow existing markets; create new markets; and provide necessary infrastructure, systems, logistics, and marketing to create a sustainable circular economy for recycled commodities in Colorado. The CEDC is funded through the Colorado Circular Communities (C3) Enterprise housed at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Our Staff

Laurie Johnson

Director

Laurie Johnson is the founder and CEO of Circular Colorado, a nonprofit working on waste diversion and end-market creation in Colorado. Prior to this, Laurie was the Chief Operating Officer for a local Colorado roll-off hauling company and served as the Executive Director for Recycle Colorado for three years. Outside of Colorado, Laurie served as VP of Client Services for Recyclebank, and she owned a retail product distribution business in Phoenix for eight years. She has served on multiple boards in Colorado including as a founding member of the Front Range Waste Diversion Board, now Colorado Circular Communities. Laurie holds a B.A. in Urban Affairs and an MBA in Sustainable Business.

Margery Brown

Director of Strategy

Margery has over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, program development, financial planning, and operations management in various industries including federal and municipal government, economic development, real estate, and technology. Previously, she has served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Executive Director of the Partnership for Economic Innovation, a senior advisor to the Commissioner for New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services, a Deputy Commissioner for the City of New York’s Technology Department, and the Chief Operating Officer for the Americas at Cushman & Wakefield. Margery holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago and a masters in public policy from the Eagleton Institute of Public Policy at Rutgers University.

Susan Renaud

Managing Director of Engagement

Susan has more than 20 years of experience in zero waste, circular economy, business sustainability, project management and design. Splitting her time between the public and private sectors, she worked for the City of Denver, City of Boulder and Boulder County in resource conservation roles where she developed circular pilot programs, managed Denver’s green business program and worked with stakeholders to translate sustainability goals to actionable plans. In the private sector, she worked for project management and design-build firms in New York, Arizona and Colorado. Susan holds bachelor’s degrees in Architecture and Spanish, a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and a certificate in Business.

Amy Randell

Administrative Director

my has more than 19 years of experience working with the recycling industry. She worked for Recycle Colorado from 2005 to 2016, beginning as the membership coordinator and eventually serving as the interim executive director. Amy served on the Assistance Committee to the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board for seven years and volunteers for Recycle Colorado. She has a bachelor’s degree in ecological restoration from Colorado State University.

Alicia Archibald

Satellite Office Coordinator

Alicia has been developing partnerships and assisting communities throughout Colorado for over 20 years. She has excelled in private and nonprofit business management, environmental education, and research and development of various sustainability strategies. Most of her career has centered around waste diversion, sustainable procurement, and recycling systems. Alicia has experience with commodities logistics, solid waste collection, transfer station management, as well as safety and personnel management. She enjoys working in a team setting and using systems thinking to create innovative solutions. Alicia is based in Colorado Springs where she has resided for over 30 years.

Mike Ritter

Satellite Office Coordinator

Mike brings his expertise as the Economic Development Director at the Grand Junction Business Incubator Center driven by a profound dedication to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering business growth. His prior role as the Workforce and Business Development Director at the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce underscores his adeptness in shaping future workforce strategies. Holding a bachelor’s degree in communications with a Minor in Political Science from Colorado Mesa University. Originally hailing from Arvada, Colorado, Mike made the move to the western slope in 2017 to attend CMU.

Marianne Mate

Satellite Office Coordinator

Marianne moved from Boulder to Southwest Colorado in 1996 and jumped right in to volunteering with local government and nonprofits and co-founding the Montezuma Land Conservancy. As the Mayor of Dolores she formed and managed several stakeholder groups working with federal, state and local leaders to bring sustainable economic development, conservation and recreation projects to the community. Her professional career includes over 30 years of executive recruiting in the financial services industry and most recently in renewable energy as the owner of CleanTech Recruiting. She has served as a board member and chair of Four Corners Recycling Initiative and the San Juan Basin Recycling Association. She understands the challenges of recycling in rural areas and sees so much opportunity ahead for expanding the circular economy in Southwest Colorado. Marianne has a degree in Business and Resort Management from Colorado Mountain College.

Cam Hodges

Project Coordinator

Cameron brings a strong foundation in environmental science and management to her role with experience working on toxicology and water resource management projects in labs at Duke University and the University of Cape Town. Cameron graduated from Pomona College and holds a B.A. in Biology. She is passionate about communication and community advocacy within policy-driven solutions at the local and state level, with experience on projects at EPA Office of Water, Washington State Department of Transportation, and the Northwest Indian College. With her background, Cameron is focused on bridging the gaps between data, policy, and stakeholder engagement.

Laura J. Davis

EHS Specialist

Laura is an innovative executive with extensive operational, program development, sustainability and compliance experience. She has worked in local government and various industry sectors and has served on several boards responsible for policy and standards development. Laura has been in senior leadership in the utility, aerospace, marijuana, and oil & gas sectors. She was appointed by four different governors to serve five terms on the Colorado State Board of Health, including four years as president. She also served on the Colorado Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission.