Aurora, CO Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Aurora City Code § 114-42
- Who may collect
- Only City or its designee
- Covers
- Curbside bins, carts, depots, vehicles
- Includes
- Newspaper, glass, aluminum, plastic
Summary
Aurora, Colorado makes it unlawful to take recyclables set out for curbside pickup without the owner's permission, protecting the city's recycling stream from scavengers.
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than the City or the City's designee, to remove, take or collect, without permission of the owner or generator, any recyclable materials which have been set out for the purposes of curbside recycling.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to remove from any container, box, collection vehicle, depot or other receptacle any recyclable materials without permission of the owner of the receptacle or the generator of the recyclable material.
(c) As used in this section, the term "recyclable material" shall mean materials which are separated from garbage or refuse for the purpose of recycling, and shall include but not be limited to newspapers, glass, aluminum and plastic containers. (Code 1979, § 40-30; Ord. No. 2005-12, § 138, 4-11-2005)
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 114-42, only the City or its designated hauler may remove recyclable materials placed at the curb for collection: anyone else needs the owner's or generator's permission. The same protection covers recycling containers, collection vehicles, and depots. "Recyclable material" is defined broadly to include newspapers, glass, aluminum and plastic containers separated out from regular garbage. The rule exists to keep curbside recycling programs viable by stopping scavengers from skimming valuable materials before the hauler arrives.
Violations & Fines
Removing curbside recyclables, or materials from a recycling container/vehicle/depot, without the owner's or generator's permission: enforced as a municipal offense under City Code § 114-40/114-41.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a neighbor's recycling bin items in Aurora, CO?
Does the scavenging ban apply to recycling depots and trucks too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
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