Superior apartment study finds recycling hurdles, no compost service

A study of Superior’s three apartment communities found that none offers compost collection and documented obstacles to recycling, including hard-to-reach drop-off sites, confusing signs and full or contaminated bins, Inclusive Design Group’s report says.

The problems vary by property. At the largest community, some residents said recycling drop-off locations were inconvenient or hard to reach; residents and site assessors also reported full or contaminated bins and confusing signs. At a second community, space and access constraints across its 14 buildings complicate adding compost collection. The third community was still under construction, but its finalized design did not include space for organics collection and could require a retrofit, the report says.

The consultant recommends improving recycling access and signs, providing ongoing resident education, and pursuing compost collection where it can be convenient and supported day to day. It also recommends considering a code change requiring space for compost collection in new apartment developments. Materials for a scheduled Oct. 12 Town Council update describe the presentation as informational, not a policy vote, the town staff memo says.

Of the 27 people who answered the study’s compost question, 22 — 81% — said they would like service if offered. The overall survey had 31 respondents, and the report cautions that its small, self-selected group is not representative of residents across the communities.

For broader diversion context, town staff materials put the residential-contract diversion rate at 30.3% so far in 2026, compared with 35.5% for the prior year’s partial reporting period. Neither figure represents a full year: service began in April 2025, and 2026 reporting was still underway, the staff report says. The town materials also say 808 homes, or 65%, have compost carts. The town’s stated waste-diversion goal is 65% by 2030, the Republic Services update says.