Colorado Springs, CO Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum service
- Weekly removal at point of collection
- Section
- City Code § 6.4.103
- City collection
- None: private haulers only (§6.4.102)
- Enforcement
- Notice & order; 10-day appeal to Municipal Court Referee
- Max penalty
- $2,500 fine / 189 days jail (§1.1.201)
Summary
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.
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 removed from the property at least weekly. The Administrator may use discretion to require more frequent pick up or disposal to protect the public health, safety or welfare.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. ' That leaves collection to private waste haulers under contract with each household. Sec. 103(A) sets the substantive standard: the property owner 'shall be responsible to provide for minimum service for such matter at the point of collection,' defined in Sec. 101 as the spot adjacent to a public alley (or the most accessible point if no alley exists). An owner can avoid weekly curbside service only by satisfying the Administrator that self-disposal 'is not harmful to the public health or does not create a nuisance or other unsanitary condition and is removed from the property at least weekly', weekly removal is the floor either way.
' Sec. 103(B) requires that everything collected be hauled 'to and disposed of at an approved site or facility,' so backyard dumping or an unpermitted landfill does not satisfy the duty even if it happens weekly. Failure to maintain minimum service is treated as an improper accumulation under Sec. 105 and can be abated through the Article 5 nuisance process: a written notice and order from the Administrator, a ten-day window to appeal to the Municipal Court Referee, and City-directed cleanup by contractor if the owner does not comply.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring the weekly-service requirement is prosecuted as a Code violation: absent a more specific penalty, Sec. 1.1.201 authorizes a fine up to $2,500, up to 189 days in jail, probation, or a combination, imposed by Municipal Court. Code Enforcement issues a written notice and order under Article 5 identifying the accumulation; owners who miss the correction deadline face City-directed abatement by private contractor, with costs assessed against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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