Trash & Recycling in Longmont, CO: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Longmont or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Longmont has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Bulk Item Disposal

Longmont residential customers can schedule bulky item pickup for $60 covering two items plus $15 per additional item, arranged by appointment with the solid waste operations division rather than set out unannounced at the curb.

Key details: Fee: $60 for two items, $15 more. Booking: By appointment only. Curbside timing: No earlier than the prior Saturday. Excluded materials: Concrete, dirt, hazardous/infectious waste.

Placing large items at the curb without an appointment, or too early, is a violation of chapter 14.12 under § 14.12.110, treated as a public nuisance subject to administrative civil penalties under chapter 2.97.

Yard Waste Collection

Longmont runs a waste diversion center where city residents drop off tree limbs and recyclables for free, while noncustomers such as contractors pay a per-load fee.

Key details: Resident drop-off: Free for noncommercial use. Contractor fee: $35-$40 per pickup load. Street placement: Prohibited outside collection program. Governing section: § 14.12.095 waste diversion center.

Placing tree limbs or leaves in a street or alley outside a designated collection program violates § 14.12.110.J; solid waste violations are treated as a public nuisance subject to administrative civil penalties under chapter 2.97.

Recycling Requirements

Since 2023, Longmont requires multifamily and commercial properties to contract for dedicated recycling collection matched to their waste volume, with signage and tenant education, unless they qualify for a narrow exemption under § 14.12.091.

Key details: Governing section: LMC § 14.12.091 (multifamily). Companion rule: § 14.12.092 (commercial). Minimum frequency: Every other week. Compliance deadline: Jan. 1 or June 1, 2024. Exemption term: 2 years if approved.

Failing to contract for required recycling service without an approved exemption is a public nuisance under § 14.12.110.D, and contaminating a recycling container with non-accepted materials is a separate violation.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Longmont actively enforces its recycling requirements requirements.

Illegal Dumping

Longmont bans dumping bottles, cans, litter, dead animals, excrement, garbage, or any other offensive matter on any private or public ground or street. Longmont Municipal Code § 9.04.080 declares the act a public nuisance, enforced through the city's nuisance-abatement notice process and the Code's default fine of up to $500.00.

Key details: Prohibited materials: litter, offal, dead animals, excrement, garbage. Covers: public & private grounds and streets. Also liable: anyone who 'causes or permits' dumping. Correction period: at least 14 days. Abatement surcharge: cost + 20% admin fee.

Chapter 9.04 sets no separate fine specifically for § 9.04.080, so a dumping conviction falls to the Code's default penalty in § 1.12.010: up to a $500.00 fine and up to 90 days in jail, or both. Failing to abate a dumping nuisance after notice is a further offense under § 9.04.150.D, and the owner also owes the city's cleanup cost plus the 20 percent administrative surcharge on top of any court fine.

Mandatory Organics Recycling

Food-related businesses in Longmont, restaurants, grocers, caterers, food trucks and similar operations, must contract with a licensed hauler for weekly organics collection of food scraps, with exemptions for low-volume, self-haul or space-constrained operations.

Key details: Grocers/wholesalers deadline: January 1, 2025. Restaurants/cafes deadline: June 1, 2025. Collection frequency: At least weekly. Yard waste composting: Required by 2029. Exemption grounds: De minimis, self-haul, space, hardship.

Enforced as a public nuisance under the solid waste violations chapter (§ 14.12.110), subjecting a noncompliant business to administrative civil penalties under chapter 2.97 and possible city legal action to compel compliance.

Bin Placement Rules

Longmont bars residents from setting solid waste and recycling containers at the curb before 4:00 p.m. the day before pickup, or leaving them out past 8:00 p.m. the day after, under § 14.12.110.F.

Key details: Governing section: LMC § 14.12.110.F. Earliest set-out: 4:00 p.m. day before pickup. Latest removal: 8:00 p.m. day after pickup. Classified as: Public nuisance violation.

Early or late set-out, or blocking a sidewalk with a container, is a public nuisance under § 14.12.110.F–G, punishable with civil penalties under § 2.97.040.C.

Dumpster Rules

Longmont's solid waste code defines dumpsters and roll-off bins as regulated "containers" and requires customers to place them at the curbline or alley in specific, spaced locations for collection under § 14.12.040.

Key details: Governing section: LMC § 14.12.040. Curb spacing: 2 ft between containers. Vehicle clearance: 3½ ft from parked vehicles. Weight limit: 335 lbs, container plus contents. Dumpster rental fee: $165 per dumpster (§14.12.060).

Placing a dumpster or cart outside the approved curbline/alley zone, too close to another container or a parked vehicle, or overweight, lets the city refuse collection under § 14.12.080 and tag the container until corrected.

Collection Schedule

Every single-family and multifamily dwelling in Longmont must subscribe to and pay for the city's routine curbside solid waste and recycling collection, with the director setting routes and collection days under §§ 14.12.020 and 14.12.050.

Key details: Governing sections: LMC § 14.12.020, § 14.12.050. Who must subscribe: All single/multifamily dwellings citywide. Schedule set by: Director of public works. Monthly fee range: $14.10-$26.30 (2026 rates).

Failing to contract for required waste and recycling service, absent an exemption, is a public nuisance violation under § 14.12.110.D, subject to civil penalties under chapter 2.97.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Longmont actively enforces its collection schedule requirements.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Longmont sets exact curbside spacing, weight limits, and a 4 p.m.-to-8 p.m. window for putting out and pulling in collection containers.

Key details: Curb placement: At curbline beside driveway. Container spacing: 2 ft apart, 3.5 ft from cars. Weight limit: 335 lbs per container. Set-out window: No earlier than 4 p.m. prior day. Pickup deadline: Remove by 8 p.m. next day.

Municipal court fines up to $500.00 per violation per day under § 14.12.110.J; the city may also refuse or suspend collection service under § 14.12.080.

The Bottom Line

Longmont is tougher than many cities when it comes to trash & recycling. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Longmont, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Longmont can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.