We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Mitchell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started Foothills Recycling because there was an absolute need in Evergreen and surrounding areas. This is definitely a passion project. My journey started in 2007 when I watched The Inconvenient Truth. Yes the one with Vice President Al Gore. It changed the path of my life forever.
My other life project is Cactus Jack’s Saloon & Grill in Evergreen, CO. My husband and I have owned the business since 2001. We have always recycled glass as it was passed on from the previous owner. In 2007, we eliminated cardboard from trash pickup. We took it to the recycling drop off center. In the years to come we would add another commodity until we recycled everything, including compost. I took a Master Compost course with Denver Urban Gardens in 2008. Composting in the backyard only allowed us to compost certain foods. We continued this process with vermicomposting throughout the years. Finally in 2017, Evergreen had it’s first commercial composting program. We now take it to the facility where it is transported to A1 Organics in North Denver for composting. We are able to compost meats, bread and spicy foods – all which my worms did not like. Now we compost 100% of food waste. This also allows us to monitor what is being composted. If we see a lot of french fries in the compost, we can reduce our portion size to be a more accurate serving size.
I have seen the major recycling/trash haulers back up to another truck and combine the trash and recycling. I have seen what we call wish-cycling. I was not happy with this outcome. Instead of using the major haulers, I choose to take my recycling to where the recycling drop off center where I knew everything was definitely getting recycled. During my time at the recycling center, I knew that the only way to improve the recycling rates in Evergreen was to let more residents know about it. I approached Preston, the old owner, almost as a cold call. I told him my relationship to his recycling drop off center and said “if you ever think about selling it, please let me know.” After 9 months of talking we finally settled Jan. 1, 2025 to change ownership. I took over immediately.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
This is a great question, but loaded. We have owned Cactus Jack’s since 2001 and Foothills Recycling for 6 months. These businesses are at two very different stages. I still ask myself, “Why start a new business after all this time?” I love my community. In my opinion, Cactus Jack’s is the heart of Evergreen. We employ your children and neighbors. We feed your families. We help anyone who walks through the door.” It has taught me an enormous amount of empathy for others, while at the same time establishing boundaries from toxic situations. Some things you can not teach. Some things you need to experience. I thought I knew everything when we first bought the business. I was 27 years old. I am now 51. Those 24 years I have lost loved ones; survived 2008 recession, 2013 flood and 2020 Covid; employed thousands of workers; quit drinking in 2013; became a parent to Gus (23) & Jack (22); raised 8 dogs (5 from EAPL); and got married once to the most amazing partner, Gary. All of this matters when I walk into work. It allows me to connect with people, employees and patrons alike. In some ways it feels like the greatest social experiment for me. I have learned a next level of empathy. In todays world, that has become extremely important. If one of my employees is struggling or sick, it is important to get them help or time off without consequences. I invest in their lives, often helping them with financial hardships. We have one employee we have known since she was 22 years old. She is now 38 years old and needed a new vehicle (mainly to get to work). She had a financing offer that was outrageous, 28% APR (on a vehicle). We were able to help her with a bigger downpayment, to lower the interest and financing amount. She will pay this amount of time through her paychecks. We have many stories similar to this. Life is difficult enough. In both of my businesses, we strive to be a partner!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would do a Staycation. I just did this with my husband over the 4th of July. We have some amazing Inns, Cabins and Chalets in Evergreen. All three run along a beautiful creek, one on Cub Creek and two on Bear Creek. After picking one of our wonderful places to stay, I would take my friends to Wildflower Cafe for breakfast. It is a cute breakfast joint on Main Street Evergreen. I would need a walk around the lake after breakfast. I take my dogs with me. It is almost a mile for a complete loop. I love stopping and watching the paddleboarders in the summer and the ice skaters in the winter. The Evergreen Lakehouse is a beautiful place too. If you ever have a chance to attend an event (weddings or fundraisers) DO IT! All of this is maintained by Evergreen Parks & Recreation. They do an amazing job keeping our trails around the lake clean. After the walk around the lake, if you want to stay near, I would check out Cactus Jack’s (of course) for some live music on our Creekside Patio. We have the best Bar Food around. Otherwise, I would encourage you to check out the Hiwan Museum. Evergreen is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary from when we established a Post Office. We are an unincorporated town. Hiwan Museum is celebrating 50 years as a museum on August 2, 2025 after the Dam Ducky Derby at the Spillway near Evergreen Lake. It is a full day with a rubber duck race, live music, baby goats ended with an ice cream social at Hiwan. It will be a full day for Main Street Evergreen.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout goes to Evergreen Rotary, specifically Mereth Meade. She was a true pioneer in sustainability. I met her in 2009, when Evergreen Rotary nominated Cactus Jack’s for Green Business of the Year. She was from Sweden and brought her knowledge and passion to Evergreen. At that point, I knew she would be a lifelong mentor. We both were on the Founding Board of Directors for Evergreen Sustainable Alliance, formerly EAS+y. We planted the idea of a community garden at the Buchanan Park site in collaboration with Evergreen Parks and Recreation. She was a true gem of the community and we were lucky to have her. Over the years, we began to do our own things, but always cheered each other on. She passed away in 2013 at 81 years old. I have applied to become a Rotary member recently. It was time to join the fight. She has inspired me in so many ways, even after she has gone.

Website: https://foothillsrecycling.com

Other: https://evergreenlivemusic.com

Image Credits
Ellen Nelson – Picture of Megan & Steve (Foothills Recycling Employee) tossing recycling cans

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