Trash & Recycling in Colorado Springs, CO (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Colorado Springs, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Colorado Springs City Code Sec. 6.4.104 requires every household to place waste in an approved waste container before collection. Scattering trash on the ground, using anything but a waste container, or hiring anyone other than a licensed waste collector to haul it away is a Code violation on its own.
Colorado Springs Trash Must Go In Approved Containers
Some RestrictionsColorado Springs City Code § 6.4.104(A), (C)
A. All waste shall be placed in a waste container. ... C. It shall be unlawful for any person or any producer of waste to place or deposit the waste in any container except a waste container or for any person or producer of the waste to place or scatter the waste on the ground, or to contract or arrange for the collection and removal of the waste except by waste collectors.
Bin Placement Rules
Colorado Springs City Code Sec. 6.4.104(F) confines trash and recycling carts to the rear or side yard, or inside a secured structure, between collection days. Rolling a container to the curb the night before is fine for the pickup itself, but it can't live in the front yard the rest of the week.
Colorado Springs Waste Carts Must Sit Rear Or Side Yard
Some RestrictionsColorado Springs City Code § 6.4.104(F)
F. Waste containers shall be located in the rear or side yard areas of all properties or within a secured structure. The containers shall not be placed in front yards except for collection purposes.
Recycling Requirements
Colorado Springs offers voluntary curbside recycling through its recycling program, but residential recycling is not mandatory. The city encourages recycling through education and convenient drop-off locations. Accepted curbside recyclables typically include paper, cardboard, glass, metal cans, and plastics #1-7. Commercial properties generating large amounts of recyclable material may be subject to additional requirements. The city also operates recycling drop-off centers for materials not accepted in curbside programs.
Colorado Springs Mandatory Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsCity of Colorado Springs — City Code: What You Need to Know
Common Code Violations. Garbage and household waste needs to be discarded and stored in a clean and sanitary manner that prevents it from becoming a home for rodents or to keep it from putrefying. This includes picking up and discarding pet waste properly at home and in public places. Firewood can be stored outside, but needs to be neatly stacked in the side or rear yards only. Appliances, furn...
Illegal Dumping
City Code § 9.6.202 makes it unlawful to litter, dump, drop, throw or deposit trash, waste, debris or 'any foreign substance', on any public or private property or waterway in the City, unless it's an authorized disposal site or a provided receptacle.
Colorado Springs Littering And Illegal Dumping Ban
Some RestrictionsColorado Springs City Code § 9.6.202
It is unlawful for any person to litter on any public or private property in this City or any waters in this City unless: A. The property is an area designated by the State or any of its agencies or political subdivisions, including the City, for the disposal of the material and the person is authorized by the proper public authority to so use the property; or B. The litter is placed in a recep...
Yard Waste Collection
Colorado Springs City Code defines yard rubbish, branches, grass, weed and leaf clippings, separately from household waste, and Sec. 6.4.104(B) caps any piece placed for pickup at three feet in length. Yard rubbish that isn't attractant waste can go in a regular garbage or refuse container.
Colorado Springs Yard Rubbish: 3-Foot Length Limit
Some RestrictionsColorado Springs City Code § 6.4.101; § 6.4.104(B)
YARD RUBBISH: Tree branches, twigs, grass, shrub clippings, weeds, leaves and other general yard, garden and organic waste material. ... B. Yard rubbish that is not attractant waste may be placed in a garbage or refuse container. Waste shall be no longer than three feet (3') in length.
Dumpster Rules
Colorado Springs City Code Sec. 6.4.104(F) lets dumpsters sit in the front or side yard only when the rear yard is too small or inaccessible, and any dumpster kept on a property permanently must be fully enclosed on every side, with the enclosure kept in good repair and clear of the right-of-way.
Colorado Springs Permanent Dumpsters Require Full Enclosure
Some RestrictionsColorado Springs City Code § 6.4.104(F)
Dumpsters may be placed on the side or front yard areas only if the rear yard area is of insufficient size or accessibility. Dumpsters permanently located on a property must be kept inside an enclosure which fully surrounds the dumpster. The enclosure shall be maintained in good condition and shall not interfere with the movement of traffic or pedestrians in the right of way.
Collection Schedule
Colorado Springs City Code Sec. 6.4.103 makes every property owner responsible for removing waste and yard rubbish weekly at the point of collection. The City does not run its own trash trucks: owners must arrange private hauling or prove self-disposal is sanitary and at least weekly, or the Administrator can order more frequent pickup.
Colorado Springs: Weekly Trash Service Required
Some RestrictionsColorado Springs City Code § 6.4.103
The Owner of any premises where any waste or yard rubbish is produced shall be responsible to provide for minimum service for such matter at the point of collection, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Administrator that the waste or yard rubbish is disposed of in a manner which is not harmful to the public health or does not create a nuisance or other unsanitary condition and is remo...
Looking for El Paso County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Colorado Springs city rules.
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