Government & Municipalities

Local governments or municipalities in Colorado have a responsibility for promoting and protecting public health, and as such have a role in solid waste systems. This does not mean that local governments must be owners or operators – but that governments are ultimately responsible for making sure that that existing waste-related programs and facilities (whoever provides them) meet the health and waste management needs of their communities.

Colorado Ordinances

Universal, Citywide, Community or Zero Waste Recycling Ordinances
A universal recycling ordinance is a requirement passed by city council implementing waste services like composting, recycling and trash for a community and its businesses.

  • City of Longmont: On July 11, 2023 Longmont’s City Council passed the Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) as an effort to support the City’s goal of diverting 75% of our waste from landfill by 2030 and 95% by 2050. The Ordinance focuses on a phased implementation for recycling and organics collection services for commercial and multifamily properties. As of June 1, 2024, recycling collection for commercial businesses and multifamily properties is required for those that are not already subscribed to recycling collection services. The requirements include the following timeline:
    • Jan. 1, 2024: Recycling services required for commercial properties over 10,000 square feet and multifamily properties with more than 75 units 
    • June 1, 2024: Recycling services required for all commercial and multifamily properties 
    • Jan. 1, 2025*: Organics collection required for food wholesalers, distributers, manufacturers and grocery stores 
    • June 1, 2025*: Organics collection required for other select business types 
    • Jan. 1, 2029: Organics collection required for landscaping companies
  • City of Boulder: On June 16, 2015, Boulder adopted new universal zero waste requirements that seek to expand recycling and composting to all Boulder residents, employees, and visitors
  • City of Fort Collins: The Community Recycling Ordinance was unanimously approved by Fort Collins City Council in September 2016. It includes required recycling service for all multi-family and businesses effective since June 30 2021, service surcharges on residential trash/recycling bills, seasonal yard trimmings collection, and grocer composting. 
  • City of Lafayette: Businesses, apartments, and City-permitted events are required to subscribe to recycling collection services and provide access to recycling by Jan 1, 2025 and properly separate recyclables from other waste generation.
  • Breckenridge, Frisco, Unincorporated Summit County: All multi-family HOAs and businesses must add onsite recycling collection.
  • Town of Avon: On September 27, 2022, the Avon Town Council passed Ordinance 22-13, which will require universal recycling for all residents, commercial entities and visitors in Avon starting on November 1, 2023. The ordinance requires all multi-family and commercial properties to register for recycling services with their waste hauler and separate recyclable materials from landfill-bound trash. 
  • City of Golden: Community Sustainability Advisory Board is soliciting input through early Fall 2024 and then will consider public comments and research leading up to a recommendation to City Council in late 2024.

Pay As You Throw (PAYT)
Residents are charged for the amount of trash they generate in the same way we get billed for the amount of electricity, gas and other utilities that we use. That means "the less you throw away, the less you pay." A trash bill based on the size of your trash receptacle. Composting or Recycling may be additionally offered as apart of the service at little to no cost to help residents divert more of their waste away from their trash carts.

  • City of Fort Collins: Adopted in 1996 and has been regularly updated since then. Unlimited Recycling service for up to two 96-gallon recycling carts included at no additional charge. Recycling offered in a wheeled 64 or 96-gallon recycling cart. Some haulers also offer an 18-gallon recycling tub
  • City of Boulder: All hauling companies that collect, transport or dispose of discarded materials (garbage, recyclables, or compostables) in unincorporated Boulder County are required to use Pay-As-You-Throw pricing, single-stream recycling, composting (in some areas), and annual reporting.
  • City of Denver: In January 2023, the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure expanded Waste Collection Service. All Solid Waste Management customers now have weekly recycling provided. Weekly compost service is rolling out in phases throughout the City. Choose the size of the trash cart that works best for your household.
  • City of Golden: On May 13, 2010 City Council approved Ordinance No. 1868, now codified as Chapter 4.82 in the Municipal Code, changing residential waste collection services in Golden by allowing the City to contract for waste and recycling services for low-density residential properties.
  • City of Loveland: The City’s volume-based “pay-as-you-throw” rates provide you with a financial incentive to reduce waste and recycle. The more you recycle, the more you save.
  • City of Lafayette: As of Oct. 1, 2022, residents who are a part of the City "Three Cart Program" will receive: Weekly compost collection, one free compost cart exchange annually, continued collection of recycling every other week, a new rate structure (monthly rate depends on your garbage cart size; the rate includes recycling and compost collection service), More cart size choices for recycling and compost carts: 32-, 64-, or 96-gallon.
  • Town of Erie: Adopted Ordinance 15-2020 in March 2020 which requires PAYT disposal pricing tiers for residential customers, unlimited curbside recycling, and curbside organics/compost collection in certain neighborhoods.
  • City of Longmont: In 2017, Longmont adopted a revised "Pay As You Throw" trash rate structure, which brings more equity to the program by allowing customers who dispose of less trash to choose smaller container sizes at much lower subscription pricing.
  • Breckenridge and Frisco: Residents choose the size of their trash bin. The smaller the bin, the lower the bill. Recycling is included and you can choose your own service provider.
  • Town of Fraser: PAYT trash bags and single-stream recycling can be disposed of at The Drop instead of paying for traditional trash service.
    • Unincorporated Summit County coming soon!
  • Town of Carbondale: 4 trash container options: Super Saver, Small, Medium and Large. You will also be able to choose between Medium and Large recycling containers. You can also choose a wildlife resistant container if you want one. Recycling is included in the cost of all service levels.
  • City of Glenwood Springs: Serves all residential households within the city limits with curbside, volume-based trash and no-cost recycling services.

Waste No More - Denver
On November 8, 2022, 70% of Denver voters approved the Waste No More ballot initiative. The Waste No More ordinance requires: 

  • Buildings to provide recycling and composting services, including: apartment complexes, restaurants, and commercial businesses 
  • Events permitted by the city to provide recycling and composting
  • Construction and demolition projects to separate and recycle all recyclable materials, including concrete, asphalt, clean wood, scrap metal, and corrugated cardboard 

Material Specific Ordinances

Construction, Deconstruction, & Demolition (C&D) Materials
Recycle Colorado's C&D Council has developed a toolkit as a guide for public entities, providing resources, tips, and tools as they pursue sustainable built environment diversion goals. The toolkit is the result of a collaborative effort across multiple organizations, agencies, and individuals dedicated to developing diversion markets and pushing for better building practices and solutions. View and download the toolkit.

Compost
Following the completion of the Organics Management Plan Study, composters and their municipal partners around the state have shown an interest in developing "Compost Procurement Ordinances" that would require cities to use compost made locally on their landscaping and roadside renovation projects. The City of Glenwood Springs has developed this relationship already and it is working to everyone's benefit. Our Northern Colorado council is doing more to develop resources around this topic. 

Cardboard
On March 5, 2013, Fort Collins became the first community in Colorado requiring corrugated cardboard to be recycled or reused

Electronic Devices Banned from Landfills
In order to encourage recycling of electronics and to protect the environment in Colorado, certain electronic devices are banned from landfill disposal after July 1, 2013. Find out more, download the Electronics Law Fact Sheet.

The State of Colorado provides a list of certified e-cyclers and resources and toolkits for sharing this information with residents and businesses.