Contact:
Abby Leeper Gibson
CTO Communications Manager
720-662-4049 I abby.leeper@state.co.us

Rosemary Dempsey
GOCO Director of Communications
720-938-4466 I rdempsey@goco.org

New Care for Colorado video shows the safe way to pick up what others leave behind

DENVER– To address a recent rise of trash on Colorado’s public lands and open spaces, the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) have joined in creating a new Care for Colorado video explaining how to “Trash the Trash” in times of pandemic.

The new one-minute animated video was created in response to an outpouring of interest in recreating on Colorado’s public lands this year and the issues that are arising for city, state and federal land managers. “Trash the Trash” is one of the seven Care for Colorado Principles the CTO developed in partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in 2018 to educate Coloradans and visitors about reducing their impacts on Colorado resources.

“We believe it’s highly likely that people who picked up litter in the past just aren’t sure these days whether that’s a safe practice,” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter. “Our hope is that this new guidance, created in consultation with the experts at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, gives everyone confidence to pitch in and keep our public lands clean.”

The one-minute video, narrated by an animated Elk, shares a new best practice for picking up trash during a pandemic. The way to do it: the same way you'd pick up and dispose of pet waste. Cover your hand with a clean-up bag, such as a recyclable grocery bag, to grab the trash. Tie it into the bag, and dump it in the nearest trash can. It’s also safe to pack it out.

“It’s so important for Coloradans to be able to get outside and enjoy the many benefits of doing so, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said GOCO Executive Director Chris Castilian. “At GOCO, we also know that our outdoor partners working on the ground – including Colorado Parks and Wildlife at our state parks and our county and municipal partners managing open spaces, parks, and trails—are facing new challenges with increased visitation. But here’s something simple we can all do to help ensure our outdoor spaces offer a welcoming experience for all. Just trash the trash!”

This video, the latest in a series produced by the CTO, was created by Practice Studios in Denver in coordination with Miles Partnership of Golden. It features the voice talents of Jeff Martin, Chief Creative Officer of Karsh Hagan of Denver, CTO’s creative services agency. All six Care for Colorado videos as well as the “Are You Colo-Ready?” brochure and quiz and other content can be viewed on the CTO’s Care for Colorado content hub on Colorado.com, one of the top-visited state websites in the U.S. The materials are also being shared in the Care for Colorado industry partner toolkit.

About the Colorado Tourism Office: The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The CTO’s mission is to generate traveler spending through promotion of Colorado as a four-season, four-corner, world-class travel destination and development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences. In 2019, Colorado travelers directly spent $24.2 billion, generating $1.49 billion in local and state revenues. Replacing those revenues would have cost each Colorado household $707 in additional taxes last year. Tourism is the state’s second-largest employer, directly supporting 181,200 jobs in 2019. For more information, please visit https://industry.colorado.com/research.
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,300 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax dollar support.