RRS’ Coryanne Mansell is Recycle Colorado’s Recycler of the Year for 2026
Community by Community
A STATEWIDE AWARD FOR WORK THAT STARTS COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY.
Coryanne Mansell, Senior Consultant at Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), has been named Recycle Colorado’s 2026 Recycler of the Year. Presented at the organization’s Annual Conference, the award recognizes Coryanne’s leadership supporting Colorado communities as they work to strengthen recycling, organics, and waste diversion programs.
Coryanne serves as RRS Project Manager for projects delivered through Colorado Circular Communities’ (C3) STEPS program, which provides technical assistance to towns, cities, counties, unincorporated areas, tribes, and public K-12 school districts across the state. RRS is one of the consulting teams supporting the program, helping communities move from identified needs toward practical, locally appropriate solutions.
We talked with Coryanne about what the recognition means to her, the experiences that shaped her work, and where she sees opportunities ahead for Colorado communities.
From Organics to Systems Thinking
Coryanne’s focus on organics began before joining RRS. At the Center for EcoTechnology (CET), she worked on wasted food solutions, which focused on helping states, cities, and businesses identify and implement programs to reduce, recover, and recycle wasted food.
At RRS, that expertise has become part of a broader approach to materials management—one that considers organics alongside construction and demolition materials, clean wood, recycling, and other material streams.
The scale of the opportunity continues to motivate her. Organics represent a significant portion of the waste stream, making prevention, recovery, and composting some of the most tangible ways communities and individuals can make an impact.
“Organics is something we can all engage with in different ways, whether that’s backyard composting, or just finding ways to use more of what’s already in your kitchen.”
Coryanne Mansell, RRS Senior Consultant
Recognition Built on Collaboration
The Recycler of the Year nomination recognized Coryanne’s leadership managing multiple concurrent, multi-phase C3 STEPS projects for RRS. Her role requires coordinating communities, RRS team members, subconsultants, and C3 while keeping each engagement aligned with local needs and program goals from project initiation through implementation.
When her name was called, Coryanne’s first thought was about the people behind the work.
For Coryanne, that collaboration is also part of what makes the STEPS model effective. She describes the program as a kind of matchmaking—bringing innovation and community needs together to connect each community with the support and solutions that make sense for them. It’s an approach she appreciates C3 for putting into practice.
“All the gratitude and appreciation I have is for RRS team I work closely with, the subconsultants we engage on these projects, and the partnership we have with C3.”
Coryanne Mansell, RRS Senior Consultant
Solutions Shaped by Place
Working across Colorado has reinforced an important lesson: there isn’t one solution that works everywhere.
Colorado’s geographic diversity means mountain communities and Eastern Plains communities can face very different conditions, infrastructure needs, and end-market opportunities. Even differences in soil can influence which compost and soil-amendment products make sense in a particular region.
That makes understanding the local context essential. With RRS and our partners, communities can explore approaches grounded in their own needs and conditions rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution.
Looking Ahead: From Diversion to Prevention
“Look at the events and groups in your community. Face-to-face interaction really helps build your awareness and gets you immersed in the subject you’re interested in. It’s a great way to learn from others, and to share your own experience too.”
Coryanne Mansell, RRS Senior Consultant
For people beginning careers in recycling or sustainability, Coryanne’s advice is simple: start by showing up.
Looking ahead, Coryanne sees an important opportunity to move further upstream—from managing discarded materials to preventing waste in the first place.
Refill stations, reusable to-go containers, and other reuse systems can reduce the amount of material entering the waste stream while also helping address contamination challenges, particularly in communities where certified compostable service ware may not yet be a practical option.
It’s an approach that reflects the work behind Coryanne’s recognition: understanding what a community needs, bringing the right people and expertise together, and finding practical ways to move materials management forward.