Nailed It: Celebrating Earth Day with a 15-foot hammer sculpture forged from reclaimed hammers

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Local nonprofits Resource Central and Eco-Cycle welcome the community to explore new tools to reduce waste, free workshops, live music, and public art

BOULDER, Colo. – Commuters along Arapahoe Road in Boulder are being greeted with a new set of tools to reduce, reuse, and recycle this Earth Day, April 22. Local nonprofits Resource Central and Eco-Cycle unveiled a new 15-foot-tall hammer sculpture that is forged from hundreds of reclaimed hammers today as a reminder that small actions to reduce waste across the community can add up to big benefits for the planet.

Governor Jared Polis and Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett joined the Earth Day celebration as both nonprofits are marking five decades of helping create a more sustainable community through their conservation and recycling programs.

“Earth Day was founded in 1970. I am proud that this is the final Earth Day that I get to celebrate as your Governor, and I couldn’t be more proud to do it in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado,” said Governor Polis. “Celebrating an amazing sculpture that really brings a vision to the image of reuse, recycling, and the circular economy.”

Left to right: Suzanne Jones, Eco-Cycle Executive Director, Jared Polis, Colorado Governor, Neal Lurie, Resource Central President & CEO, Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder Mayor.

The public is invited to check out the new public art and kick off the 50th anniversary celebrations at a free, family-friendly event on Saturday, April 25, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at 6400 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. The event will feature live music, a food truck, a photobooth bus presented by Melton Design Build, and hands-on activities for all ages, including a flower pot decorating station for children and a sale on reclaimed hand and power tools. Details can be found at ResourceCentral.org/EarthDay.

“Since 1976, over one million program participants have successfully saved 74 million pounds of waste from ending up in landfills and conserved 2 billion gallons of water,” said Neal Lurie, President and CEO of Resource Central. “This hammer sculpture is a striking reminder to keep conservation top of mind. It’s a creative symbol of reuse, and invites people to think differently about how to repurpose the materials around them.”

Eco-Cycle noted the importance of marking this milestone with Resource Central.

“Eco-Cycle turns 50 years old this year, marking five decades of community-based efforts to protect our climate and natural resources by reducing waste, promoting reuse, and furthering recycling and composting — and our neighbors at Resource Central are celebrating the same milestone,” said Suzanne Jones, Eco-Cycle’s Executive Director. “This new hammer sculpture represents the ‘can-do’ attitude of people working together to craft solutions — a wonderful way to commemorate both anniversaries, and to serve as a landmark to draw even more people to the Zero Waste services available here at 6400 Arapahoe Road. Now people can easily find us by ‘turning at the hammer’ for the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) and Resource Central’s Reuse Yard.”

Supporting the installation of the new sculpture was Boulder construction company, Melton Design Build.

Melton Design Build's VW bus with hammer sculpture artist Mitch Levin. — Melton Design Build’s VW bus with hammer sculpture artist Mitch Levin.

“Through Melton Cares, our time and talent transform into projects that strengthen the communities we serve,” said Graham Steers, President & Co-Owner of Melton Design Build. “A natural choice for our 2026 Melton Cares project, Resource Central is committed to conservation, reuse, and education. Their mission reflects the values we share as a B Corp. Contributing to this Earth Day monument is a meaningful way to celebrate environmental responsibility and community partnership.”

The 15-foot hammer sculpture titled “You’re Either the Hammer or the Nail,” was created by local artist Mitch Levin. Constructed from reused materials sourced at Resource Central, it stands at the entrance to both organizations at 6400 Arapahoe Road, where over 10,000 commuters pass each day.

The April 25 event will also serve as the kickoff for Resource Central’s 2026 Rock & Reuse concert series, combining live music, local artists, food trucks, and conservation-focused programming throughout the summer. The full schedule of bands, promotions, and details can be found at ResourceCentral.org/RockandReuse.

Today’s hammer sculpture dedication was made possible with support from: AEC Trust, City of Boulder, Eco-Cycle, Melton Design Build, and the Scintilla Foundation.

About Resource Central: Resource Central is an award-winning nonprofit in Boulder, Colorado, empowering people to live more sustainably and make conservation a way of life. For 50 years, Resource Central has helped more than 1,000,000 people save water, reduce waste, and conserve energy by making conservation easy through its innovative programs. Learn more at ResourceCentral.org.

About Eco-Cycle: Celebrating 50 years this year, Eco-Cycle is one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit recyclers, and as such, has pioneered many “firsts” in the industry, including one of the first curbside collection services for household recyclables and the first commercial compost collections in our region. Eco-Cycle works to identify, explore, and demonstrate the emerging frontiers of sustainable resource management through the concepts and practices of Zero Waste. For more information, visit: www.ecocycle.org.