Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, a new approach to recycling litter and waste has been set up in Grand Teton National Park at the Colter Bay Campground. The centerpiece is a 20-foot long recycling station where you can dump your plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass, and cardboard wastes. The station was made possible by the聽nonprofit Keep America Beautiful庐, sustainability solutions innovator TerraCycle庐, and hospitality provider Grand Teton Lodge Company庐. With a grant聽from the National Park Foundation, the group is introducing new recycling infrastructure at the park to make waste disposal simpler, smarter, and more accessible.
This bear-resistant structure features 12 clearly marked slots and easy-to-read signage, making it simple for campers to sort traditional recyclables like aluminum cans, glass bottles, and cardboard鈥攎aterials that will be recycled through Grand Teton National Park鈥檚 municipal recycling service. It also includes designated spaces for hard-to-recycle items such as snack and candy wrappers, rigid plastic, and flexible plastic packaging, which will be collected and recycled by TerraCycle through its specialized recycling solutions.
The upgrades don鈥檛 stop there. Anglers will now find three dedicated bins near fishing access points to safely dispose of used fishing line鈥攁 small change that helps protect the park鈥檚 waterways and wildlife. And 30 new cigarette butt recycling receptacles have been added to help tackle one of the park鈥檚 most common sources of litter.
鈥淭his collaboration with Grand Teton National Park, Grand Teton Lodge Company, and Keep America Beautiful brings real-world recycling solutions to one of the most iconic natural settings in the U.S.,鈥� said Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle. 鈥淭ogether, with the support of the National Park Foundation, we鈥檙e demonstrating how well-designed infrastructure can make recycling more intuitive and accessible鈥攅ven in remote, natural settings like Grand Teton.鈥�
This effort brings together the complementary goals of each partner. The project serves as a tangible step toward achieving Grand Teton Lodge Company鈥檚 stringent sustainability targets, as part of its broader commitment as a subsidiary of Vail Resorts. For the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, it reflects a long-term strategy to protect natural and cultural resources by reducing waste and engaging park visitors in responsible stewardship. By aligning public, nonprofit, and private sector goals, this collaboration serves as a model for sustainability in shared natural spaces.