Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance

Overview

On September 15, 2025, the Denver City Council approved updates to Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance. The ordinance was put in motion through a community-led "Waste No More" ballot measure. This ballot measure was passed by 70% of Denver voters in November 2022. The ordinance aims to conserve natural resources across the city. The ordinance requires:

Recycling and composting services at:
- Multi-family residential buildings
- Food businesses
- Permitted events
Recycling for:
- Non-residential buildings
- Construction and demolition projects

The updates clarify what is applicable and the requirements. These updates aim to help those impacted understand and follow the new changes. Ahead of the September 1, 2026, enforcement date, Denver will now move forward with developing:

Rules and Regulations
Administrative guidance
Education to support buildings, businesses and community members who will be impacted by these changes.

Quick Resources

Looking for resources that summarize how the updated ordinance impacts Denver residents and businesses? Visit our Share Kit to download fact sheets and share widely with your networks.

Are you a contractor, event organizer, building or business owner who needs waste haulers to meet Universal Recycling requirements? Find a list of licensed waste haulers. If you are in contact with a hauler that is not on this list, please encourage them to apply for a hauling license through Denver’s Permitting and Licensing Center. Hauling without a license or an expired license can result in penalties and fines up to $999.

Are you a tenant experiencing an issue with your landlord and would like to file a complaint with the city? Submit using the Online Complaint Form.

Do you have a question related to the services provided by Denver Solid Waste Management? Submit a request through your Denver Utilities Online account or by calling 311.

How This Applies to You

Apartment and Condo Tenants

Starting September 1, 2026, apartment and condominium buildings with eight or more units must provide recycling and composting services to their residents.
Buildings will provide containers in convenient locations, and signs will be posted to explain how to sort waste.

Multi-Family Residential Buildings

Applies To	Multi-unit dwellings of eight or more units Manufactured home communities Congregate living or boarding homes
Comply by Date	September 1, 2026
Requirements	Provide recycling and composting services for tenants, residents, employees, and contractors Provide adequate and convenient collection containers Post appropriate signage and provide waste sorting education Create and maintain a waste diversion plan
Exemptions (additional definitions under development)	Parties experiencing economic hardship, dealing in minimal volumes of materials, facing inadequacy of hauling service providers, or experiencing certain space constraints Approval to comply through alternative means (such as food donation, animal feed, on-site diversion, or other means) Approval to comply by sharing services

Food Waste Producers

Applies To	Licensed retail food establishments Licensed commissary, food processing, and wholesale and warehouse establishments
Comply by Date	September 1, 2026
Requirements	Provide recycling services for customers, employees, and contractors (front-of-house and back-of-house) Provide composting services for employees and contractors (back-of-house) Provide adequate and convenient collection containers Post appropriate signage and provide waste sorting training and education Submit a waste diversion plan
Exemptions (additional definitions under development)	Mobile retail food establishments, pushcarts, food peddlers, temporary retail food establishments or food shelves Parties experiencing economic hardship, dealing in minimal volumes of materials, facing inadequacy of hauling service providers, or experiencing certain space constraints Approval to comply through alternative means (such as food donation, animal feed, on-site diversion, or other means Approval to comply by sharing services with other businesses

Non-Residential Buildings

Applies To	Non-residential building
Comply by Date	September 1, 2026
Requirements	Provide recycling services to tenants, customers, employees, and contractors Provide adequate and convenient collection containers Post appropriate signage and provide waste sorting education Create and maintain a waste diversion plan
Exemptions (additional definitions under development)	Parking garages, parking structures, parking lots, vehicle depots, vacant lots, condemned properties, undeveloped land, or other non-residential building use-types that are found to generate minimal volumes of recyclable materials Parties facing economic hardship, dealing in minimal volumes of materials, facing inadequacy of hauling service providers, or experiencing certain space constraints Approval to comply through alternative means Approval to comply by sharing services with other businesses

Permitted Events

Applies To	Any event with over 350 daily attendees that occurs on public property and requires a permit from either the Office of Special Events, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, or Parks and Recreation
Comply by Date	September 1, 2026
Requirements	Provide recycling and composting services for event attendees, employees, contractors, customers and volunteers Provide adequate and convenient collection containers Post appropriate signage and provide waste sorting training and education Continue submitting a waste diversion plan with permit applications
Exemptions (additional definitions under development)	Events with less than 1,000 weekly attendees are not required to provide composting Parties experiencing economic hardship, dealing in minimal volumes of materials, events with no food vendors, or facing inadequacy of hauling service providers

Construction and Demolition

Applies To	New construction and demolition projects larger than 500 sq. ft. or interior remodel projects larger than 2,500 sq. ft. requiring a permit issued by the city*
Comply by Date	September 1, 2026
Requirements	At least 50% of all debris generated on site must be reused or recycled A minimum of 3 materials (such as concrete, asphalt, masonry, untreated wood, metal, or corrugated cardboard) must be reused or recycled Continue submitting compliance forms and a waste diversion plan with your permit application A performance security deposit will be required in the future
Exemptions (additional definitions under development)	No work change in occupancy permits Emergency orders Parties experiencing economic hardship, dealing in minimal volumes of materials, dealing in hazardous materials, facing inadequacy of hauling service providers, or experiencing certain space constraints

*In 2036, the requirements for Construction and Demolition will become more stringent.

Ordinance Background

2022:

The "Waste No More" ballot initiative, written by community groups, was passed by 70% of Denver voters in November.

2023:

The city formed a task force. Their goal was to assist in enforcing, clarifying, and overseeing requirements for the Universal Recycling ordinance. This task force included:

Representatives of the entities regulated by the ordinance
Other stakeholders indirectly affected
Ballot sponsors
Members of the City Council

At the end of their process, the Task Force submitted a report of its recommendations:

Waste No More Task Force Report(PDF, 1MB)

2024:

City staff from several agencies developed an updated draft ordinance based on the original ordinance language, the Task Force recommendations, and administrative roles and resources.

2025:

A revised updated ordinance was created based on feedback from the Task Force and stakeholders. The Mayor and City Council also provided guidance.

Of the Task Force's fourteen (14) recommendations:

Eleven (11) address ordinance content and were fully incorporated into the updated ordinance language, or incorporated with minor modifications.
Three (3) address long-term support, programs, and infrastructure investments, and will be incorporated into implementation as resources allow.

On September 15, 2025, the Denver City Council approved updates to Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance?

The ordinance was a resident-led ballot initiative passed in 2022, known as Waste No More. This ordinance requires:

Multi-family buildings and food businesses in Denver to provide recycling and composting services.
Permitted events to provide recycling and composting.
Non-residential buildings to provide recycling services.
Permitted construction and demolition activities to divert recyclables.

Who must comply with the ordinance?

Multi-Family Properties:

Multi-family residential buildings with eight or more dwelling units
Manufactured home communities
Congregate living or boarding homes

Food Waste Producers:

Licensed retail food establishments
Licensed commissary, food processing, and wholesale and warehouse establishments

Non-Residential Properties:

Non-residential buildings and businesses

Events:

Any permitted event with over 350 attendees that occurs on public property

Construction and Demolition Projects:

New construction and demolition projects larger than 500 sq. ft. or interior remodel projects larger than 2,500 sq. ft. requiring a permit issued by the city

Can I request an exemption from the requirements?

You may be able to request an exemption for reasons such as:

Parties experiencing economic hardship
Dealing in minimal volumes of materials
Facing inadequacy of hauling service providers
Experiencing certain space constraints.

You may also be able to request approval to comply through alternative means or by sharing hauling services.

Additional details and definitions of the exemptions will be developed through a Rules and Regulations process in late 2025 and early 2026, ahead of the September 1, 2026 enforcement date.

When do covered entities need to comply?

All entities must comply by September 1, 2026, but all covered entities are encouraged to meet ordinance requirements as soon as possible. Compliance will be enforced using an education-first approach.

What is the city doing now (before September 1, 2026) to ensure compliance with ordinance requirements?

Denver is now moving forward with developing rules, administrative guidance, submission platforms, and education to support buildings, businesses, and community members who will be impacted by the changes, ahead of the September 1, 2026, enforcement date.

To help you prepare, we have created a Share Kit. This kit contains fact sheets that summarize the ordinance updates and highlight what compliance will look like. These materials aim to make the requirements easier to understand and to support smooth implementation. We plan to update the Share Kit with more information as rules, education and resources are developed.

Is this the same program as curbside residential waste services provided by the city?

No. Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Solid Waste Management Division provides curbside residential solid waste collection services (trash, recycling, and compost) to single-family homes and apartment and condo buildings with seven or fewer units. These services are not offered to apartment or condo buildings with eight units or more.

The Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance applies to apartment buildings and condo buildings with eight units or more, which are not serviced by Denver Solid Waste Management. These entities must comply with the ordinance by arranging for recycling and composting services through a licensed solid waste hauler.

Who picks up my trash?

The City and County of Denver's Solid Waste Management is responsible for the following:

Residential Buildings with up to seven units
Denver City Facilities
Denver Public Schools
Single Family Homes

Private Haulers are responsible for the following:

Arenas and Stadiums
Residential Buildings with eight (8) or more units
Permitted Events
Private Schools and Universities
Office Buildings and Hotels
Hospitals and Nursing Facilities
Restaurants and Stores
Caterers and Commercial Kitchens
Farmers Markets
Construction and Demolition Sites

You can see the breakdown of these responsibilities in the graphic below:

Universal-Recycling

What is the intended impact of the ordinance?

The purpose of this ordinance is to decrease the amount of waste sent to the landfill by increasing citywide access to recycling and composting.

What is the City and County of Denver's waste diversion goal?

To achieve a citywide solid waste diversion rate of 70% by 2032.

Why do we need access to recycling and composting in Denver?

Denver current sends 78% of all solid waste generated citywide to the landfill. That means only 22% of materials are reused, recycled, or composted. Decreasing how much material goes to the landfill helps conserve natural resources. It also helps reduce Denver’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Is Denver the first municipality in the U.S. to adopt such a measure?

No. Several cities in the U.S. have similar requirements in place. These include the City of Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA; and the City of Boulder, CO, to name a few. Cities that have such rules in place send fewer materials to the landfill. Instead, they reuse, recycle, and compost many more materials.

Where can I read the updated ordinance language?

The updated ordinance language is available here(PDF, 483KB).

I have additional questions not answered here. How can I learn more?

If you have questions, please e-mail us at UniversalRecycling@denvergov.org for support.

If you have other questions related to your residential rental or food license, please reach out to licenses@denvergov.org.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please email us:

UniversalRecycling@denvergov.org