The Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance applies to:
- Licensed retail food establishments
- Licensed commissary
- Food processing establishments
- Wholesale and warehouse establishments
The ordinance does NOT apply to:
- Mobile retail food establishments
- Pushcarts
- Food peddlers
- Temporary retail food establishments
- Food shelves
Food businesses are required to provide:
- Recycling services for customers, employees, and contractors (front-of-house and back-of-house)
- Composting services for employees and contractors (back-of-house, at minimum)
- Signage that clearly identifies each waste stream and training of employees on proper waste sorting
Who is responsible: The responsible person (or party) must ensure the business meets URCO's requirements. The person or responsible party for food waste producers and food permit holders is the:
- License holder
- For building areas or situations that don't have a license holder: building owner or any person pr business acting for the owner, including the property manager
Other ways to comply: Businesses may comply through alternative means (such as food donation, animal feed, on-site diversion, or other means), or by sharing services and costs with other businesses.
See the Full Rules and Regulations(PDF, 258KB)
In some situations, you can ask for an exemption from the URCO requirements. For example:
- Financial hardship. If paying for recycling or composting services would inhibit your business’s ability to maintain normal operations or employment levels.
- De minimis volumes of materials. If the building throws away less than:
- A medium-sized (64-gallon) cart of trash per month.
- A large-sized (96-gallon) cart of recyclables per month.
- A small-sized (48-gallon) cart of compost per month.
- Inadequacy of waste hauling services. If you have tried to set up the required waste hauling services for your business but are unable to get service because:
- No licensed waste hauler can collect your materials at your location.
- Service options don’t meet URCO’s minimum service level requirements.
- There are access or operational issues that mean a hauler can’t provide service on time.
- Space constraints. If you don’t have space to put all the containers or the only space you have isn’t safe for the hauler to access.
If you plan to submit an exemption request, you will need to include the additional information listed in the table below. For each exemption type, you will need to specify whether you are requesting an exemption from recycle or compost service. In some cases, you may need to submit separate exemption requests for each service.
Situation
|
Information Needed for an Exemption
|
| Financial Hardship |
- Provide a description and documents showing you cannot financially support both normal operations and additional recycle and compost services.
|
| De Minimus Volumes of Materials |
- Show documents proving the building creates trash, recycle, and compost below the minimum threshold.
|
| Inadequacy of Waste Hauling Service |
- Explain what actions you have taken and the reasons why getting service won't work for your building.
- Show documents proving what you have tried. For example, service requests or written refusals from waste haulers.
|
| Space Constraints |
- Photos of your space with an explanation for why it does not work for recycling or compost service
- If requested, share other information, documents, and explanations of the ways you have tried to follow the requirements in the space you have. For example, showing that you have tried different container sizes, changing your enclosure, etc.
|
If the city grants your request, you will need to renew the exemption each year. To renew, fill out the renewal form with updated information showing you still need it.
To submit an Exemption request, 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.
Request an Exemption
Having trouble submitting your Exemption request? 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.
The URCO Waste Diversion Plan is a template you submit to the city showing how your food business meets recycling and composting requirements.
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.
Use our checklist for step-by-step instructions for compliance, supporting materials, tips, and best practices.
Compliance Checklist for Food Service Providers
The following resources are intended to support you on your journey to implement Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance (URCO) requirements.
Signage Examples and Downloadable Signs
The signs provided by the city meet all requirements around color, symbology, and information.
Sample bilingual signs. Please download the signs using the buttons below instead of saving these images.
Additional Resources
These materials can get you started with training your staff, finding waste haulers, and keeping your whole team clear on the URCO requirements.