323 tons

Organic Waste Composted in 2022

Why it Matters 

Nearly 37% of all waste that enters the Eagle County Landfill is organic material and could be composted. When organic material is buried in the landfill it creates  methane gas, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. Composting organic materials like food and yard waste reduces these GHG emissions while creating nutrient-rich soil amendments that allow for plants to grow, removing additional carbon from the atmosphere. The Climate Action Plan for Eagle County set a goal to reduce compostable material entering the Eagle County Landfill 80% by 2030. 

82.1%

Waste Diversion Rate from special events in Vail in 2022 

Vail hosts over 80 special events each year.  All event producers and vendors must follow the Town of Vail Celebrate Green! Special Events Guidelines which includes hosting Zero Waste events, diverting as much waste from the landfill as possible. All events are required to provide recycling and if food and beverages are served, compost must also be offered. All serviceware must be compostable or recyclable and no single use plastic water bottles are allowed to be sold. 

Here is the breakdown of compost, recycling and landfill bound trash from 2022 special events: 

 $72,786

Collected through single use carry out bag fees in 2023 

In 2015, Town of Vail implemented the Kick the Bag Habit program, which prohibited the distribution of single use plastic bags at grocery stores in Vail and required a 10-cent per paper carryout bag fee be charged to customers. Prior to this, the two largest grocery stores in Vail distributed 4.5 million plastic bags annually. They now sell about 470,000 bags each year. Customers who bring their own reusable bags or decline carryout bags are not charged. The fees are remitted to the town and used for waste diversion programs, like the two annual Hard to Recycle events hosted by the town for those who live and work in Vail for free.

In 2023, as a result of state legislation HB21-1162 the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, Vail increased the bag fee to 25-cents per bag and expanded it to all retailers in town.  Retailers keep 15-cents per bag to implement the program and remit 10-cents per bag to the town to be used for waste diversion programs. As of 2024, plastic carryout bags are banned at all of the retailers and the bag fee will still be charged for any carryout paper bags distributed to customers.  The chart below shows bags sold and fees collected since 2017. 

1,050

Deed Restricted Housing Units

The Town of Vail Housing Department exists to advocate and advance the Town’s vision as the leader amongst mountain resort communities in ensuring the availability of homes for year-round Vail residents. Through the Vail InDEED program, they preserve and protect existing and future homes for resident occupancy by acquiring deed restrictions obtained through public/private partnerships, strategic initiatives, regulatory obligations, innovative programs and collaboration within the community and the region.

Through the Vail InDEED program, the housing goal is to double Deed restricted housing in Vail from 1,050 deed restrictions units to 2,100 by 2033. Learn more about Vail InDEED. 

$9,603,456