Drink and tinker with recycled crafts at Walking Mountains in Avon

Walking Mountains Science Center promotes innovative ways to protect the environment. Last week, the local nonprofit showcased this goal with a couple of bath tiles, some old maps and a lot of Mod Podge.

“We work to provide accurate and useful information on how to best manage your weird and wild waste here in Eagle County, while also trying to spark creative thinking when it comes to reducing waste through repurposing and upcycling,” community programs manager Scott Dunn said.

On Thursday, Walking Mountains introduced their third season of Drinkering and Tinkering with map tile coasters, using old bath tiles and maps for materials. The nonprofit will continue to host craft events throughout the year and support creative ways to reuse waste.

Dunn started the series in 2022 with a passion for crafting and sustainability. Drinkering and Tinkering was formed to not only teach the public how to reduce waste but to demonstrate county-wide efforts to do it, too.

“I love making things and wanted to develop a program that focused on inspiring creativity, especially with adults,” Dunn said. “The series was (also) a new way to partner with and highlight the work and knowledge of our Zero Waste Team here at Walking Mountains.”

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The nonprofit starts each event with a sustainability presentation, discussing the waste used in their crafts. Zero Waste Lead Emily Dennis explained the county’s current strategy with construction and demolition (C&D) disposal and other waste for the coming year.

“We’ve developed a new waste diversion goal of 40%, which is up from 30% last year,” Dennis said. “From 2021-2022, we’ve increased our diversion of C&D waste by 2%, so we’re moving in the right direction but it’s taking some time.”

Dunn then gave directions on how to make the crafty tile coasters. The price of each event ticket covered the cost of materials and refreshments. The tiles were purchased at the nearby Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a place the manager encouraged crafters to utilize for home projects.

He and Dennis also explained how home improvements can increase the likelihood of C&D waste.

“It’s a lot of heavy material to do something with, and if you don’t have the infrastructure in your area, it might be difficult to divert or recycle the waste,” Dennis explained. “Right now, we’re working on a C&D management plan for the county.”

The coasters were a simple mix of used bath tiles, cutouts of old maps and layers of Mod Podge paste. Dunn and other nonprofit staff assisted crafters, passing around more sustainability tips as they walked from table to table.

“I think the Drinkering & Tinkering series helps inspire sustainable action,” Dunn noted. “Reducing and diverting our waste are some of the easiest things we as individuals can do to help our environment.”

Refreshments were provided by Boone’s Wine and Spirits, and each participant had two drink tickets to access their beverage selection. The liquor store has partnered with Walking Mountains for the past few years and will sponsor this year’s Drinkering and Tinkering season.

According to Dunn, this partnership helped turn the recycled craft night into an interactive happy hour.

“We are thankful for their help in bringing the ‘drinkering’ to Drinkering & Tinkering for the last two seasons,” Dunn said. “Walking Mountains is vitally connected to the generous support of our community and that includes local businesses.”

After map tile coasters, Dunn and his staff have big plans for the remaining events. Walking Mountains will host its next Drinkering and Tinkering night on Mar. 21, teaching participants how to handle animal waste and create upcycled pet toys. 

From there, Dunn hopes to build off of each night and continue to bring quality tinkering opportunities to Eagle County. “I know for a fact we will not run out of waste to work with,” Dunn said. “I hope that the series can continue to bring people together in a fun and relaxed setting to learn and create.”

The Eagle County Landfill has a Construction and Demolition Diversion Site for the public to drop off original lumber, clean concrete and other materials. For more information, visit EagleCounty.us or call at least 48 hours before dropoff.