In observation of the Juneteenth Day holiday, all County offices will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026. Offices will reopen for regular hours on Monday, June 22. Many County services are available 24/7 on our Online Services webpage.
Here in Douglas County, wildfire preparedness and resiliency are a top priority. That’s why the Board of Douglas County Commissioners is investing in a biochar facility and waste diversion site to protect our communities from wildfire and improve the way we manage waste. Opening in 2026, the Douglas County Biochar and Waste Diversion Site will be the first county-operated biochar facility in the United States, putting Douglas County at the forefront of wildfire risk reduction innovation.
This new facility will increase the scope and scale of wildfire mitigation, reduce costs for waste removal by improving efficiency and reduce costs for forest management projects. In the future, the site will also serve as a convenient, one-stop-drop for yard waste, electronics, household chemicals and more.
Biochar is a form of charcoal created by heating organic materials, like wood and plant waste, in a low-oxygen environment through a process called pyrolysis. It captures carbon before it can be released into the atmosphere, creating a carbon-rich product that improves soil health, filters contaminants like PFAS and even helps with odor control.
This visionary idea came from the Douglas County Wildfire Action Collaborative, a group of emergency management professionals and wildfire experts focused on preparing for and preventing wildfires in our region.
Rather than focusing the site only on one waste need, the County has advanced a broader site concept that will not only process slash from wildfire mitigation projects but also serve as a centralized location for multiple resident drop-off and recycling services.
This broader service model is now referred to as GreenWorks, with the biochar facility serving as one component of the overall site.
By combining these services under one umbrella, residents will gain expanded access to a variety of waste disposal opportunities:
A phased rollout of GreenWorks services is planned this year:
At a Business Meeting on April 28, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a construction contract with Bauen Studios for the facility, marking a major step forward. The funding will support construction of the biochar building, product storage structure, utilities, site improvements and infrastructure.
The Douglas County GreenWorks site represents a total investment of approximately $10.8 million, combining the $7.8 million April 2026 construction contract with a $3 million investment approved in July 2025 for specialized biochar production equipment and site development.
The facility is designed to pay for itself over time. With one biochar production unit in operation, annual revenue is projected at approximately $2 million against $1.6 million in operating costs, generating about $400,000 each year to recover initial capital costs.
As operations expand, cost recovery accelerates. A second production unit, anticipated in 2029 pending grant funding, is expected to increase annual revenue to $4 million while maintaining relatively modest cost growth. At that stage, the facility is projected to generate approximately $1.9 million annually toward capital recovery.
Based on current projections, the facility is expected to fully recover its capital investment between 2035 and 2036, while continuing to deliver ongoing public benefits including wildfire mitigation, reduced waste disposal costs, and expanded resident services.
On Jan. 28, Douglas County invited residents to attend a public open house to learn more about biochar and how the new facility will benefit the community.
A staff presentation on the biochar facility was followed by a question-and-answer session with project experts and Commissioner Abe Laydon.
Douglas County’s biochar facility will not only have positive impacts for our own communities, but for our neighboring counties and communities as well. The reduction in wildfire mitigation costs made possible by the biochar facility will allow Douglas County to expand our own risk reduction efforts and support surrounding areas, because wildfires don’t stop at county lines. When the threat of wildfire is mitigated, we all benefit – our forests, our water, our communities and our health.
Interested in partnering with us? Email the Douglas County Biochar team at [email protected].
At a Business Meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Board voted to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the City of Aurora and Douglas County to support the development and operation of the County’s future regional biochar and waste diversion site.
Under the terms of the IGA, Aurora Water will contribute $100,000 toward the establishment of the facility. This agreement reflects a shared commitment to wildfire mitigation, watershed protection, and sustainable land management.
Before the biochar facility can begin operating, state regulations required Douglas County to complete a detailed air quality study. Using EPA-approved modeling software, the County analyzed the facility’s highest possible emissions alongside existing background air conditions in the area. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) reviewed and approved the analysis, confirming the facility is expected to remain well within federal air quality standards.
Reducing emissions was also a key factor in selecting the facility’s equipment. The system is designed to reprocess and reuse nearly all potential pollutants generated during production, resulting primarily in heat and biochar as outputs.
These efforts help ensure the GreenWorks site can expand waste diversion and wildfire mitigation services while continuing to operate safely and responsibly for nearby residents and the environment.
Project DetailsDouglas County Public Works is leading the development of the biochar facility and waste diversion site.
Email [email protected].
