Denver on Tuesday released a new Sustainable Resource Management Plan detailing its goal to divert 50% of all solid waste from landfills to recycling or composting by 2027 and to increase its diversion rate to 70% by 2032.

The plan, which is a collaboration between the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Department of Public Health and Environment, is an update to the city’s 2010 Solid Waste Master Plan.

According to a release from the city, a 50% diversion rate would lead to a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions comparable to taking more than 600,000 cars off the road.

“Through focused efforts over the last 10 years, Denver has been able to increase its diversion rate from 13% in 2010 to 26% in 2020,” Grace Rink, Denver’s chief climate officer, said in a release. “While we have made progress, this rate has remained stagnant and falls well below the national average of 34%. Reaching a higher diversion rate will require new strategies, and this plan will get us there.”

Recommendations from subject matter experts and the 2020 Climate Action Task Force include creating local policy to increase recycling and composting and pushing for state policy to limit the use of certain materials, improving operations to create viable waste diversion programs and educating the community on responsible waste habits.

City initiatives relevant to this work include ordinances to create fees for plastic and paper bags and reduce single-use items provided with takeout or delivery. There’s also a proposal to expand the city’s waste services and begin charging a fee based on the size of landfill waste container.