Trash & Recycling in Westminster, CO

If you live in Westminster or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Westminster has 6 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Collection Schedule

Westminster assigns each residential area a specific weekly collection day set by the City Manager, and licensed haulers may operate in a neighborhood only on that designated day, with limited exceptions for holidays, severe weather, or missed pickups.

Key details: Rule: collectors run only on the assigned day. Set by: the City Manager, per area. Exceptions: holidays, severe weather, missed pickups. Vehicle license fee: $250.00 per collection vehicle/year. Enforcement: license suspension/revocation, Sec. 5-7-7.

Operating outside a designated collection day, or without the required solid waste collection vehicle license, is grounds for license denial, suspension, cancellation, or revocation under Section 5-7-7, with the right to a hearing before the special permit and license board and appeal to district court.

Bin Placement Rules

Westminster caps outdoor household trash cart storage at eight containers and bars keeping them in a front yard or any side or back yard facing the street, under Section 8-1-11(B). Carts may only go to the curb up to 24 hours before pickup and must return to storage within 24 hours after the scheduled collection.

Key details: Container cap: 8 containers stored outside off collection day. Prohibited storage: Front yard or street-facing side/back yard. Set-out window: No sooner than 24 hrs before collection. Return deadline: Back in storage within 24 hrs after pickup. Container standard: Liquid-tight, tight-fitting cover required.

A Section 8-1-11(B) violation, such as storing more than eight containers outdoors or leaving carts in a front or street-facing yard, is punishable under Section 1-8-1 by a fine, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense. The violating condition is also declared a public nuisance under Section 8-1-16(B), which can lead to City-ordered abatement.

Yard Waste Collection

Composting yard waste in Westminster is only lawful inside an approved holding unit under Section 8-1-4(B): no bigger than five feet in any dimension, built of wood, wire, metal or plastic excluding plastic bags, kept in the backyard screened from the right-of-way, and set back at least three feet from property lines. Composting household trash itself is banned outright.

Key details: Household trash: Composting household trash is banned outright. Unit size: Max 5 feet in any dimension. Materials: Wood, wire, metal or plastic, no plastic bags. Location: Backyard, screened from public right-of-way. Setback: 3 feet minimum from property lines.

Violating the yard-waste composting standards of Section 8-1-4(B), or composting household trash under subsection (A), is punishable under Section 1-8-1 by a fine, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The violation is also declared a public nuisance under Section 8-1-16(B), which can lead to City-ordered abatement billed to the responsible party.

Illegal Dumping

Depositing, throwing or leaving litter on any public or private property, or in City waters, is unlawful in Westminster under Section 6-18-1, and courts can suspend a violator's fine on condition they personally clean up the property instead. Litter dumped from a moving vehicle is presumed to be the driver's doing.

Key details: Prohibited act: Depositing, throwing or leaving litter. Covered locations: Public or private property, or any waters. Defense: Owner/tenant consent or proper receptacle. Vehicle presumption: Driver presumed responsible for vehicle litter. Alternative penalty: Court can order cleanup instead of fine.

A Section 6-18-1 violation is punishable under the Code's general penalty provision, Section 1-8-1, which allows a fine of up to $2,650.00 or, if charged criminally, imprisonment of up to 364 days, or both; the court may instead suspend the fine conditioned on court-supervised litter removal. Repeated dumping can also support a public nuisance designation against the property.

Recycling Requirements

Every licensed solid waste collector in Westminster must offer curbside recycling to residential customers who want it, and must provide recycling collection to all multifamily and commercial customers, at least monthly and on the same day as trash pickup.

Key details: Who must offer it: every licensed solid waste collector. Residential frequency: at least once monthly. Collection day: same day as trash pickup. Multifamily/commercial: mandatory, frequency prevents overflow. Annual report deadline: March 31 to the City.

The recycling requirement is enforced through the collector's solid waste license under Section 5-7-7: a violation can result in denial, suspension, cancellation, or revocation of the license by the City Manager, with a right to a hearing before the special permit and license board on 10 days' notice, and summary suspension of up to 30 days is available for immediate health or safety protection.

Dumpster Rules

A one- or two-family home in Westminster cannot keep a trash dumpster or roll-off of one cubic yard or larger without written authorization from a code enforcement officer, per Section 8-1-5(A). Homes with an active building permit are exempt, and anyone using a dumpster must keep trash from being strewn or scattered.

Key details: Size trigger: 1 cubic yard or larger requires authorization. Who needs it: One- or two-family dwellings. Building permit exception: Active City building permit exempts the dwelling. Trash containment: Must prevent trash from scattering. Movable storage units: Max 30 days without written authorization.

Maintaining an unauthorized dumpster or roll-off of one cubic yard or larger at a one- or two-family dwelling, or keeping a movable storage unit past 30 days without written code-enforcement authorization, is punishable under Section 1-8-1 by a fine, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The condition is also declared a public nuisance under Section 8-1-16(B), which can lead to City-ordered abatement.

The Bottom Line

Westminster's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Westminster is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Westminster's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.