Trash & Recycling in Fort Collins, CO (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Fort Collins, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Every owner and occupant in Fort Collins whose property produces refuse must arrange collection service sufficient to keep the property clean, and can only hire a solid waste collector licensed by the City under Section 15-417. Section 12-18 lets residents haul their own trash to the Larimer County Landfill or another state-approved site instead, but using an unlicensed hauler is not allowed.
Fort Collins Refuse Collection Requirements
Some RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 12-18(a)
(a)The occupant and the owner of any premises wherein any refuse or rubbish is produced or accumulated shall be jointly and severally responsible to provide for collection service and removal of refuse and rubbish to the degree of service necessary to maintain the premises in a clean and orderly condition. They shall not contract or arrange for such collection and removal except with solid wast...
Bin Placement Rules
Fort Collins requires refuse and recycling containers to stay screened from view except on collection day, and even then they can only reach the curb up to 12 hours before scheduled pickup. Section 12-18(b) also bans setting any container on the sidewalk or anywhere it blocks pedestrian, bicycle or vehicle traffic.
Fort Collins Trash Cart Placement and Screening
Some RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 12-18(b)
(b)All refuse containers and recyclable materials that are not required to be enclosed at all times per Land Use Code Division 5.11 shall be screened except on collection day, or within twelve (12) hours preceding the time of regularly scheduled collection from the premises, when they may be placed curbside as defined in §15-411 of this Code. Refuse containers and recyclable materials shall not...
Recycling Requirements
Fort Collins requires every licensed solid waste collector to give residential customers free curbside recycling under City Code § 15-413. The program must include at least an 18-gallon bin (or up to two large 90-99 gallon carts), pickup on the same day as trash, and minimum frequencies tied to container size. Multi-family and commercial accounts get recycling volume equal to at least one-third of their total waste service.
Fort Collins Curbside Recycling Program Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Collins City Code § 15-413(a)(1)-(3)
(a)Curbside collection—Residential.(1)Solid waste collectors shall provide residential solid waste customers curbside collection of recyclable materials for no additional charge. Such service shall include recyclable materials collection in an amount equal to at least eighteen (18) gallons and need not be more than two (2) large capacity containers. If a customer declines recyclable materials c...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Fort Collins food stores that throw out more than 96 gallons of food scraps a week must subscribe to a licensed food-scrap collection service under Section 12-23. A store can seek a City variance instead by proving good cause, such as donating scraps, self-hauling to a state-permitted facility, or running scraps through a garbage disposal.
Fort Collins Food Scrap Recycling Mandate
Significant RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 12-23(a), (b)
(a)Food stores—Service requirement. Commencing on December 31, 2017, food stores within the City that dispose of more than ninety-six (96) gallons of food scraps per week shall subscribe to a service for the collection of food scraps by a collector licensed to provide such services within the City or shall obtain a variance in accordance with the following provisions...(b)Collection frequency. ...
Valet Trash Rules
Fort Collins prohibits valet trash collection citywide under its 2024 International Fire Code amendments. Multifamily properties cannot contract door-to-door nightly trash pickup from unit doorsteps or hallways; residents and property managers must use centralized dumpsters or curbside carts instead. The Poudre Fire Authority enforces the ban because valet carts and bagged trash left in corridors block emergency egress paths.
Fort Collins Bans Valet Trash Collection
Heavy RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 9-2 (IFC § 304.1.1)
304.1.1 Valet Trash. Valet trash collection shall be prohibited.
Illegal Dumping
Depositing dirt, debris or construction waste onto a Fort Collins street or right-of-way is a straight-up misdemeanor, not a civil infraction. Municipal Code § 20-62 bans the tracking or dumping outright, § 20-63 requires contractors to keep the work site clear, and § 20-66 backs the whole article with the misdemeanor penalty in § 1-15.
Fort Collins Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code §§ 20-62, 20-66
No person shall allow the tracking, dropping or depositing of dirt, debris, construction waste or any other material by or from any vehicle onto any street or right-of-way as defined herein. If the tracking, dropping or depositing occurs, the person responsible shall promptly remove all material and return the street or right-of-way to its prior condition. ... Any person who violates any of the...
Yard Waste Collection
Fort Collins requires every licensed solid waste collector to give residential customers curbside yard trimmings pickup under City Code § 15-414. Service runs at least once a week from April 1 through November 30. Since September 30, 2024, collectors must automatically enroll customers in the service and fold the cost into basic charges unless the customer opts out.
Fort Collins Yard Trimmings Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Collins City Code § 15-414(a)
(a)Residential service required. Each solid waste collector licensed by the City shall make available to each residential customer receiving solid waste collection services, including customers receiving solid waste collection services through a group account, and shall provide to a residential customer upon request curbside collection of residential yard trimmings at least once per week from A...
Dumpster Rules
Fort Collins requires new commercial buildings, expanding commercial buildings, and buildings with a change of use to build a masonry-enclosed, screened area sized for their dumpsters and roll-off bins, with a 10-foot service opening for haul trucks. This design standard, Land Use Code Section 3.2.5, governed development applications and building permits submitted before May 17, 2024, under the Transitional Land Use Code.
Fort Collins Commercial Trash Enclosure Standard
Some RestrictionsFort Collins Transitional Land Use Code § 3.2.5(C)(1), (6)
(1)Areas for the collection and storage of trash, waste cooking oil, and compostable, recyclable and other materials (linen service containers, returnable crates and pallets, and other similar containers) must be enclosed so that they are screened from public view. Enclosures must be constructed of durable materials such as masonry and shall be compatible with the structure to which it is assoc...
Collection Schedule
Fort Collins enrolls every eligible residential unit in its own residential waste collection program under Section 12-28, using a single City-contracted hauler, unless a home is excluded or holds an approved variance. A homeowner who skips the City's hauler without a variance still owes the $1.35 monthly administrative fee plus the minimum service rate, currently $9.75 a month.
Fort Collins Mandatory Residential Trash Program
Significant RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 12-28; § 12-32(d)
There is established the City's residential waste collection program to provide residential waste collection services for all program customers, except for those residences excluded pursuant to § 12-29 and those residences for which a variance has been granted in accordance with § 12-30...If a program customer who has not received a variance under §12-30 elects to not use the services provided ...
Recycling Rules
Fort Collins bans certain materials from ordinary trash under City Code § 12-22, Required Recycling. Electronic equipment and recyclable cardboard cannot go into a poly-cart, dumpster, or bag for collection; they must reach a licensed collector's recycling stream or a qualified recycling facility instead. Building permit holders must route qualifying construction and demolition debris to an approved processing facility. Owners and occupants share the duty to keep banned items out of the trash.
Fort Collins Bans Recyclables From the Trash
Some RestrictionsFort Collins City Code § 12-22(a), (b)
(a)Electronic Equipment. No person shall place electronic equipment in refuse containers for collection, nor shall any person bury or otherwise dispose of electronic equipment in or on private or public property within the City. All electronic equipment must either be stored and presented or delivered to a licensed solid waste collector for recycling in accordance with the provisions of Subsect...
Looking for Larimer County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Collins city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Larimer County →