Name: What Really Happens to your Plastic Recycling?
Start: 2026-01-22T18:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-01-22T20:00:00-07:00
Location: Durango Public Library

Thursday, January 22, 2026 6-8 pm AT THE DURANGO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Interested in what really happens to your plastic recycling?
Come join us for a community presentation and learn more about single use plastics—how they are made, used and disposed of. Plastics persist for centuries, breaking down into microplastics that contaminate our food, water, air and soil. By learning about what is and isn’t recyclable and the politics of the plastics industry, we can make more informed choices in our daily lives that determine our individual impact on our planet. Reducing our unnecessary use of plastic and supporting policies that invest in innovation for safer alternatives is an important step to protect ecosystems and future generations from irreversible damage.
This will be an informative evening with a short documentary film followed by 3 guest speakers. There is an opportunity for Q&A’s to follow.
COST: Admission is free and open to the public
DATE: January 22, 2026 from 6-8 p.m.
LOCATION: Durango Public Library, 1900 E 3rd Ave, Durango, CO
QUESTIONS: If you have questions, please reach out to Wendy at [email protected].
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS:
Micheal Rendon is an associate professor at Fort Lewis College whose academic work focuses on waste policy and the global informal recycling sector. He is a former mayor of Durango, CO and former director of the Environmental Center at FLC.
Mark Thompson is the owner of Phoenix Recycling. He launched the first residential recycling collection service for La Plata County residents in 2001, opened the first co-mingled construction waste recycling facility in Colorado in 2006 and in 2016 built what was the only single-stream material recovery facility in SW Colorado.
Jim Smith is the Solid Waste and Recycling Manager for the City of Durango, having served in similar capacity for the city of El Paso, TX.