Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance

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

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:

Task Force Recommendations Report(PDF, 1MB)

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.

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.

Denver developed rules and regulations for buildings, events, and construction and demolition projects. These rules were adopted during the summer of 2026 and posted with new resources for affected entities.

The first deadline for URCO compliance is September 1, 2026. The city has focused on an education-first approach to this compliance deadline, publishing guides, checklists, and other resources for event planners, building owners, and project managers.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.