Trash & Recycling in Denver, CO (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Denver, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Denver's manager of transportation and infrastructure sets binding rules for trash, recycling, and compost collection, covering approved containers, storage location, and seasonal preparation.
Denver Trash and Recycling Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-45
Such rules and regulations shall include, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, prescribed containers, prescribed location for storage, and special seasonal variations in preparatory and storage techniques to implement more efficient collection procedures.(d)Rules and regulations issued under the authority of this article shall be in conformance with accepted standards of sanitation ...
Bin Placement Rules
Denver's code doesn't print set-out clock times: it requires trash containers to sit wherever the manager of transportation and infrastructure designates, a spot vehicles can reach, and leaves the exact schedule to the department's own rules.
Denver Trash Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-19
The container, provided at the expense of the owner, tenant or keeper, shall be placed in an area designated by the manager, accessible to vehicular traffic, where the container may be conveniently emptied and the garbage removed by the garbage collector.
Recycling Requirements
Denver requires recyclable material collection, alongside trash and compost, at every eligible property under the city's volume-based trash pricing program.
Denver Curbside Recycling Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-42(a)
Collections of trash, recyclable material, and compost material shall be made in accordance with the plan of the manager of transportation and infrastructure from categories of eligible properties designated by regulations promulgated under authority of this article.
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Denver requires multi-family buildings with eight or more units and most non-residential properties to give tenants, employees, and customers on-site recycling and organic material diversion starting September 1, 2026, under Chapter 48 Article X.
Denver Mandates Organics Recycling for Buildings
Significant RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-130(c)
On or after September 1, 2026, the responsible party for a multi-family residential premises shall ensure that tenants, residents, employees, and contractors have access to on-site recycling and organic material diversion described under this article and shall further (1) post an informational notice, to be developed by the office of climate action, sustainability, and resiliency, about how to ...
Illegal Dumping
Denver bans dumping trash anywhere except lawfully designated disposal premises and enforces it with escalating administrative citation fines up to $999 per violation.
Denver Illegal Dumping Penalties
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-47(b)
Except as provided in subparagraphs (c) and (d), the penalties assessed for each administrative citation issued for illegal dumping or unlawful disposal of trash, in violation of any provision of this article, shall not exceed the following amounts regardless of the number of violations per citation:(1)First administrative citation: one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00).(2)Second administrati...
Yard Waste Collection
Denver defines yard rubbish as tree branches, twigs, grass, shrub clippings, weeds and leaves, and collects it as compost material alongside trash and recycling under a single volume-based service.
Denver Yard Waste and Brush Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-41
Yard rubbish includes tree branches, twigs, grass, shrub clippings, weeds, leaves and other general yard and garden waste materials. Yard rubbish may include a small quantity of dirt attached to weeds, etc., but does not include sod or dirt as such. (Code 1950, §§ 352.1—352.4; Ord. No. 116-10, § 2, 2-22-10; Ord. No. 425-10, § 1, 8-9-10; Ord. No. 243-11, § 1, 5-2-11; Ord. No. 39-20, § 74, 2-3-2...
Dumpster Rules
Denver's zoning code makes multi-unit and commercial developments tuck dumpsters behind the building's street-facing wall and enclose them in a solid fence or wall at least 6 feet tall.
Denver Requires Screened Dumpster Enclosures
Some RestrictionsDenver Zoning Code § 10.5.7.3
In all zone districts except the MS zone districts, outdoor trash and recycling collection and storage areas accessory to a multi-unit dwelling or nonresidential development shall be placed either flush or behind any street facing facade of the Primary Structure. ... All outdoor trash and recycling collection and storage areas accessory to a multi-unit dwelling, Manufactured Home Community, or ...
Collection Schedule
The city collects trash, recycling, and compost from eligible properties under a plan set by the manager of transportation and infrastructure, with residents billed quarterly under volume-based pricing tied to container size.
Denver Trash Collection Runs on a City Plan
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-42
(a)Collections of trash, recyclable material, and compost material shall be made in accordance with the plan of the manager of transportation and infrastructure from categories of eligible properties designated by regulations promulgated under authority of this article.(b)Collections shall be affected only from those premises where trash, recyclable material, and compost material are prepared a...
Recycling Rules
Starting September 1, 2026, Denver requires multi-family buildings with eight or more units, non-residential properties, and food waste producers to give tenants, employees, and customers on-site access to recycling and organic waste diversion services.
Denver Requires On-Site Recycling Access
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 48-131(c)
On or after September 1, 2026, the responsible party for a non-residential premises shall ensure that tenants, customers, employees, and contractors have access to on-site recycling services described under this article.