
Circular Transportation Network Picks Up First Materials
In alignment with the CEDC’s mission to develop circular economies within Colorado, support local economies, and keep materials circulating at their highest value, the CEDC recently launched the Circular Transportation Network (CTN). The CTN is a collaboration between the CEDC, Front Range Transload, and B. Kirkland Trucking made possible by a grant from the Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise Fund.
Recyclable materials and some hard-to-recycle materials like plastic film and down are collected from rural and mountain communities and businesses in Colorado that wouldn’t be able to have them picked up otherwise. In January, the CTN picked up its first loads of materials from partners in Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs.
“We’ve been busy putting all of the pieces in place and spreading the word to communities and businesses in rural and mountainous regions of the state; it’s exciting to now launch this phase of the project and to have trucks on the road,” said Susan Renaud, director of special projects for the CEDC.
Collected materials are brought to the Front Range Transload facility in Pueblo where they are aggregated, baled and sent by truck or rail to processors and manufacturers that use recycled materials to make new products.

CTN Seeks Partners to Collect Residential Film
Among other recyclable materials, the CEDC’s Circular Transportation Network (CTN) collects LDPE and HDPE film plastics including film wrap, plastic bags, ziplock bags, bubble wrap and more.
The CTN is looking for businesses and communities throughout the state that are interested in setting up residential film collection programs. Thanks to a generous grant from The Recycling Partnership to support plastic film recycling, funds may be available to assist communities with infrastructure and educational resources needed to successfully collect the film. Once collected, the CTN can then pick up the material for free on an as-needed basis and transport it to Colorado’s local end market. If your community is interested in learning more, contact the CEDC at ctn@circularcolorado.org.

Colorado EnviroScreen Quantifies Environmental Stressors
Colorado EnviroScreen is an online interactive mapping tool that helps identify environmental and health burdens across different communities.
It was developed through a partnership between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and teams from Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Public Health.
The information provided by EnviroScreen helps guide resources and decisions to promote equity and thriving communities. Data is available at multiple geographic levels, such as census block group, census tract, and county levels.
Show Your Support for Plastics Circularity in Colorado

The CEDC is part of a team submitting a funding proposal to the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program. The $160M proposal will expand the efforts of Colorado’s CEPlast (Circular Economy for Plastic Sustainability) Engine, which aims to establish a sustainable circular economy for plastics by providing support for research, innovation, practice, workforce development and education.
For those in the plastics industry, your expression of interest in CEPlast is important to the proposal’s success. If you’re interested in supporting CEPlast, please fill out a brief (5min) survey to document your interest.
Learn more about CEPlast by watching this informational session and please share widely with anyone in Colorado who should be engaged with CEPlast. Contact the CEDC at info@circularcolorado.org if you have questions.

Join Circular Colorado at Circularity (April 29-May 1, 2025, Denver, CO) — the premier gathering of professionals advancing solutions for the circular economy.
Laurie Johnson, CEO of Circular Colorado, will lead the session “Lessons from Colorado: A Proven Model for Advancing the Circular Economy.”
By attending the conference, you’ll gain access to more than 100 thought-provoking sessions, connect with more than 1,500 peers and become empowered in your role to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Register by Feb. 21 to save $800, plus use the code C25CC to save an additional 10% off — total savings of over $1,000 off the Final Rate for the All-Access Pass: https://buff.ly/4gixvbS