Grand Junction, CO Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Grand Junction Municipal Code § 8.28.090 requires all refuse containers serviced by the City to be City-approved, and it specifically directs that containers for recyclables meet the requirements and specifications established by the City Manager rather than a fixed list printed in the code itself; an owner or producer whose container falls out of compliance must remove it from service and from the public right-of-way. The chapter also regulates who may run a recycling truck on City streets: § 8.28.050 requires a license, issued under Chapter 5.04 GJMC, for each refuse or recycling motor vehicle or truck operating on City rights-of-way, with the fee set by City Council resolution and kept on file with the City Clerk.

That license is nonrefundable and can be revoked for violating any City regulation or ordinance, and § 8.28.050 makes operating without one a misdemeanor outright. Section 8.28.100 backs the container standard by letting the City Manager refuse collection service or pull a noncomplying container, recycling or otherwise, from service until it is corrected. Anyone who disputes a City Manager decision on fees, licensing or a container can appeal under § 8.28.070. Because the code delegates the actual bin specifications, such as size, lid type or approved recyclable materials, to City Manager regulations issued under § 8.28.040 rather than printing them in the municipal code, residents confirm current recycling-cart requirements directly with the City's Solid Waste Division before requesting service.