There are six steps to follow that will get your food business into compliance with the Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance (URCO). Use the compliance checklists, best practices, tips, and tools to give your food business a smooth start to these new services. Click 'Next' to get started.
The following steps will guide you through setting up new or adjusting existing services. All items on the checklist are required unless marked as a tip. Tips make the required actions easier and may link to additional resources that are optional to use.
- Get started on time. URCO requirements begin September 1, 2026.
- Food businesses are expected to make a good-faith effort to start services as close to this deadline as possible.
- City and County of Denver staff will focus on education and voluntary compliance in the initial rollout of this ordinance.
- If your building is issued a city license after September 1, 2026, you have 30 days to start recycling and composting services. If your building does not require a license, you have 30 days from the time you start operations to start recycling and composting services
- Set up or adjust your hauling services to keep up with the amount of recyclables and compostables your food business generates and avoid overflowing containers.
- Use licensed waste haulers (see list of approved waste haulers).
- If self-hauling, choose the right self-haul locations and document where you haul. In a small number of situations, people choose to haul their own waste. If you choose to haul some or all of your recyclable or compostable materials, you must bring the materials to a licensed or registered facility, including:
- Materials recovery facility, also known as a recycling center
- Composting facility
- Food bank or food shelf
- Other legal place that takes food for human or animal consumption
- Designated transfer station for recyclables or organic materials
- Keep receipts. If you haul your own waste, you must keep weight tickets or receipts from where you drop it off for one year to show you followed the requirements and show them during inspections, license renewal, or when asked.
- If you donate food, follow the rules. Follow all applicable requirements and best practices for food donation (see Denver Rules and Regulations Governing Retail Food Establishments).
The following steps will guide you through setting up your containers and collection areas. All items on the checklist are required unless marked as a tip. Tips make the required actions easier and may link to additional resources that are optional to use.
- Set up your containers grouped together
- Set up recycle containers in your back-of-house area (e.g., kitchen and prep areas).
- Set up compost containers in your back-of-house cooking, food prep, and dishwashing areas.
- Set up recycle containers next to your trash containers in your front-of-house areas (where customers are) and make sure customers can see them.
- Keep trash, recycle, and compost containers grouped together in central collection areas.
- If containers can’t be together, add a sign. If containers can't be grouped together, post signs showing where the other containers can be found.
Tips for Selecting Containers
The right container can make introducing compost to your kitchen much easier. Some things to consider are:
- Will countertop containers make life easy or feel cluttered?
- Do you have space below or next to your prep counters to place a “slim-jim” (narrow, tall format) container?
- Could it help your employees to purchase a cart or containers with wheels to move the heavy compost containers when full?
Tips for Setting Up Your Collection Area
Setting up your central waste collection area correctly is one of the most important steps when adding new services. Here are some tips to get started:
- Make recycle and compost containers as easy (or easier) to get to as trash containers.
- Put compost containers close to the entrance so employees don’t have far to go with heavy containers.
- Label recycle and compost containers clearly with “recycle” and “compost” in English and Spanish.
- Hang up recycle and compost guidelines (images of what can go in each container) on the container where your tenants, employees, and contractors can easily see them.
- Replace outdated or damaged guidelines as soon as possible.
- Hang a sign about where people can find recycle and compost containers if there isn’t space in the main enclosure, area, or room.
- Keep the waste collection area tidy and address smells and bugs or rodent problems quickly.
The following steps will guide you through labeling your containers and collection areas. All items on the checklist are required unless marked as a tip. Tips make the required actions easier and may link to additional resources that are optional to use.
- Clearly label your containers
- Use colors. Make sure all trash labels are black, recycle labels are blue, and compost labels are green.
- Tip: Best practices include color-coding your containers as well: black for trash, blue for recycle, and green for compost.
- Use symbols. Use the universal “chasing arrows” recycling symbol for recycle, an “apple core” symbol for compost, and a “trash can” symbol for trash.
- Label all containers
- Clearly label your back-of-house and centralized containers as “trash”, “recycle” and “compost” in English and Spanish.
- Clearly label your front-of-house containers as “trash” and “recycle” in English and Spanish.
- Hang up guidelines. Post signs on or near your front-of-house and centralized containers showing realistic images of which items are allowed and not allowed.
- Make signs easy to see.
- Tip: Use city-provided sign templates, hauler-provided signs, or design your own. If you design your own, the signs must clearly show whether the container is trash, recycle, or compost and use realistic images of which items are allowed and not allowed.
- Make signs bilingual.
- If most back-of-house employees speak a language other than English or Spanish, you may post signs in that language instead of or alongside Spanish. The same is true if most customers and front-of-house employees speak a language other than English or Spanish.
Tips for labelling your containers
Clearly labeled containers help your tenants put their trash, recyclables, and compost in the right place, avoiding contamination fines for your building. Here is how to label a container correctly:
- Label trash containers with “trash,” “basura,” and a trash can symbol.
- Label recycle containers with “recycle,” “reciclar,” and a “chasing arrows” recycling symbol.
- Label compost containers with “compost,” “compostar,” and an apple core symbol.
- Hang up paper, laminated, or sticker guidelines about what can be placed in each container, in English and Spanish.
The following steps will guide you through maintaining your containers. All items on the checklist are required unless marked as a tip. Tips make the required actions easier and may link to additional resources that are optional.
- Keep containers clean. Clean dirty containers, dumpsters, and compactors regularly to prevent insect and rodent problems. If you share containers with neighboring businesses, everyone must help keep them clean.
- Maintain good hygiene. Clean the inside and outside of containers and be careful not to get food, equipment, utensils, food preparation areas, or the surrounding area dirty.
Tips for Cleaning Your Containers
- For smaller indoor containers
- Use warm water and soap and let fully dry.
- Only clean containers when there are no clean dishes or food in the area that could become contaminated.
- For outdoor carts and dumpsters
- Check that your dumpster has a drain. If it doesn’t have a drain, you should consult a professional dumpster cleaning service.
- Wear latex gloves, safety goggles, and cover your mouth and nose to protect your face from contaminated spray.
- Remove any trash, recyclables, or compost from the container.
- Use a pressure washer or hose with a strong sprayer.
- Add a biodegradable soap or cleaner (e.g., castile soap, vinegar).
- Use a long-handled brush or broom to scrub the sides.
- Rinse off the soap and safely dispose of the washing water:
- For carts, empty the washing water into an indoor utility sink or drain.
- For dumpsters, place a container underneath the dumpster drain to catch washing water and dispose of it in an indoor utility sink or drain.
- Alternatively, use a wet vac or pumping device to collect the washing water and dispose of it in an indoor utility sink or drain.
- Do not dump washing water onto outdoor surfaces or let it go down the storm drain.
- Clean up the ground or pad underneath the container.
- Some haulers will provide this service as part of your contract. Make sure to ask when setting up services.
The following steps will help you train your employees and contractors according to URCO requirements. All items on the checklist are required unless marked as a tip. Tips make the required actions easier and may link to additional resources that are optional to use.
- Educate employees and contractors. Provide employees and contractors with information and training on how to correctly recycle and compost, in Spanish and English, within the time frames listed below.
Situation
|
Deadline
|
| Current employees and contractors |
November 30, 2026 |
| New employees starting work or new contractors at the beginning of their work period |
Within 30 days of starting work |
| When there is any change to recycling or composting services that affects sorting practices, especially if there are changes to which materials are accepted |
Within 30 days of any change |
- Educate on containers and sorting. Cover where containers are located and which items are allowed or not allowed. Training may also cover more ways to reduce waste.
- Document trainings. Record when employee/contractor training took place, the names of the people trained, and who provided the training. Use the City-provided training log or create your own.
- Make education bilingual. If most employees speak a language other than English or Spanish, you may share information in that language instead of or alongside Spanish. See sample information in English and Spanish.
The URCO Waste Diversion Plan is a template you submit to the city showing how your food business is recycling and composting. While it is listed as the last step, it can be completed sooner in the process. Here is what you need to include:
- Fill out your plan, including:
- Your name or other person responsible for your food business.
- If you work with a waste hauler:
- The waste hauler's name (or names if you have more than one)
- The waste hauler's contact information
- The name of the person on the waste hauling contract (this may be a neighbor if you share services)
- Your waste hauling contract or other document that shows which waste hauling services you have
- Photographs or other documents showing your labeled containers and training, information, and education signs.
- Fill out the rest of the form and provide any other information requested by city officials.
- If you haul your own trash, recyclables, and compost:
- Where you take the materials and how often you take them.
- The disposal company's (or alternate licensed location's) name and contact information.
- Weight tickets or receipts provided by the disposal company.
- Photographs or other documents showing your labeled containers and training, information, and education signs.
- Fill out the rest of the form and provide any other information requested by city officials.
- Be ready to show your plan. Keep your Waste Diversion Plan and the waste diversion plan reference number available at your food business or building.
- Update your plan whenever any of these change: waste hauling services, hauler, food business operations, the person responsible for the Waste Diversion Plan.
- Submit/resubmit your plan any time the city requests it and when you renew your license.
Before You Begin Your Waste Diversion Plan
If you work with a hauler:
- Take photos of your collection area with the new containers. Make sure you can see all container and collection area signage in the photos.
- Pull up your waste hauling contract so you can copy and paste the hauler’s information and your service details.
If you self-haul:
- Pull up the website of where you haul to so you can easily copy and paste their information.
- Gather recent weight tickets or other receipts that prove you hauled the materials.
To submit a Waste Diversion Plan, you will use Denver’s Permitting and Licensing Center. If you do not have a business license, begin by creating an account under the “Home” tab. If you already have a business license, select “Business Licenses” from the menu and proceed using your business license number.
Submit a Waste Diversion Plan
Having trouble submitting your Waste Diversion Plan? If you experience a technical issue, please try again later. Denver is taking an education-first approach to compliance, providing resources, guidance, and support to help you understand what’s required and get on track.
If your building or food business has a plan for a different way to manage your food waste that doesn’t need compost hauling service, you can share the details of your plan with the city. Fill out and submit a request form for approval 30 days before you are required to start composting and recycling. See more details on other ways to meet requirements:
- Composting at your building or food business. You may be allowed to compost on-site if you follow all state and local laws and regulations, including environmental, zoning, and odor control laws.
- You must send the city a description and photographs to show how and where you will be composting. You also must share how much material will be composted and show how you are following applicable composting regulations.
- The city may need other information and may need to visit your building to see your composting set up.
- If you have a different innovative way of handling your compost, you can log into Accela and file a form to:
- Describe your innovation
- Estimate how much material the process can handle
- Share other details to help the city understand your plan