Manitou Springs, CO Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Accepted recyclables
- Aluminum/tin cans, plastics 1-7, cardboard, glass, paper
- Contamination rule
- No non-approved items in the bin, Section 6.27.030(C)
- Program covers
- Dwellings of 7 units or fewer
- Opt-out
- Allowed under Section 6.27.050, no other hauler
- Purpose
- Standardized curbside recycling, Section 6.27.010
Summary
Manitou Springs bans putting anything other than approved waste or recyclable material into a residential collection bin and setting it at the curb, under Municipal Code Section 6.27.030(C). The rule backs the city's mandatory curbside recycling program for aluminum, tin, plastics 1-7, cardboard, glass and paper.
C.It is unlawful for any person to intentionally place, in any collection bin, anything other than the appropriate collection materials, and to place that collection bin at curbside for collection.
Full Breakdown
010. 020 defines what counts: recyclables means aluminum and tin cans, plastics numbered 1 through 7, cardboard, glass and paper, including newspaper, magazines and junk mail, plus any other material the contractor and city mutually agree to add. 030(C) enforces the program's integrity at the household level: it is unlawful to intentionally place anything other than the appropriate collection materials into a collection bin and then set that bin at curbside for pickup, meaning contaminating a recycling bin with ordinary trash, or a trash bin with unauthorized recyclables, is itself a separate ordinance violation, not just a pickup problem. 050, but cannot pick a different recycling hauler.
Violations & Fines
Contaminating a bin with the wrong materials before curbside placement violates Section 6.27.030(C) and is punished under the general penalty at Section 1.01.100 through Section 6.27.060, alongside any other violation of the chapter. The city can also treat an accumulation of improperly sorted or overflowing recyclables as a public nuisance abatable under Chapter 6.08, separate from the collection contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials go in the recycling bin in Manitou Springs?
Can I get cited for putting the wrong thing in my recycling bin?
Do all residents have to recycle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manitou Springs
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in El Paso County handle recycling requirements.