There are six steps to being a URCO-compliant building. Use the compliance checklists, best practices, tips, and tools to give your building 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. The deadline to comply with URCO is September 1, 2026.
- Buildings are expected to make a good-faith effort to start recycling 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 services. If your building does not require a license, you have 30 days from the time you start using the space to start recycling service.
- Set up the required level of service. See the table below for URCO’s required service levels:
- 30% of your weekly pickup volume (includes trash and recycling)
- Get your waste picked up often. Have your trash and recyclables picked up at least every other week.
- Make sure your hauler is licensed. 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 your own trash and recyclables, you must bring the materials to a licensed or registered facility, including:
- Materials recovery facility, also known as a recycling center
- Designated transfer station for recyclables
- Keep receipts. If you haul your own waste, keep weight tickets or receipts from where you drop it off for one year to show you followed the requirements.
- Lower costs by sharing services. You are allowed and encouraged to share hauling services with your neighbors.
- To share, you need to document that you are following the requirements for an adequate service level.
- You will be asked to provide the contact information for your service-sharing partner
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.
- Keep recycling and trash together.
- Set up recycle containers next to trash containers and make sure that customers can see them.
- Keep trash and recycle containers grouped together in central collection areas (e.g., waste collection room or enclosure).
- If your building is a hotel or residential care facility, put a recycling container in each guest room. You may also collect recyclables using a different system that is clearly explained to guests.
- If recycling can’t be by the trash, add a sign. If containers can't be grouped together, post signs showing where the other containers can be found.
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 containers as easy (or easier) to get to as trash containers.
- Label recycle containers clearly with “recycle” in English and Spanish.
- Hang up recycle guidelines (images of what can go in each container) on the container where your tenants can easily see them.
- Replace outdated or damaged guidelines as soon as possible.
- Hang a sign about where tenants can find recycle 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 as "trash" and "recycle" in English and Spanish.
- Use colors. Make sure all trash labels are black and recycle labels are blue.
- Tip: Best practices also include color-coding your collection containers: black for trash and blue for recycle.
- Use symbols. Use the universal “chasing arrows” recycling symbol for recycle and a “trash can” symbol for trash.
- Hang up guidelines. Post signs on or near your 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 or recycling and use realistic images of which items are allowed and not allowed.
- Make signs bilingual.
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.
- Hang up paper, laminated, or sticker guidelines about what can be placed in each container, in English and Spanish.
- Replace guidelines that are outdated or damaged as soon as possible.
The following steps will guide you through how to maintain 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 to use.
- Keep containers clean.
- If you share containers with neighboring businesses, everyone must help keep them clean.
- Tip: See the callout box "Tips for cleaning your containers" below.
Tips for Cleaning Your Containers
- For indoor containers
- Take the containers outside or to an indoor utility area with washing set up (e.g., utility sinks, drainage, etc.).
- Use warm water and soap and let fully dry.
- 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 or recyclables 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 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 update your tenants and contractors following 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 tenants and others in your building. Provide tenants, customers, employees, and contractors with information on how to correctly recycle, in Spanish and English, within the time spans listed in the table below.
Situation
|
Deadline
|
| Current tenants, customers, employees, and contractors |
By November 30, 2026 |
| New tenants |
Within 30 days of following occupancy |
| New employees starting work or the start of a contractor’s services |
Within 30 days after starting work or services |
| When there is any change to recycling services that affects sorting practices, especially if there are changes to which materials are accepted |
Within 30 days after the change |
- Make education bilingual. If most tenants or employees speak a language other than English or Spanish, you may share information in that language instead of or alongside Spanish.
- Share information conveniently, for example in an email, posting it in common areas, during new employee training, or printing flyers.
- Tip: Remind tenants about household hazardous waste:
Commercially Generated Hazardous Waste
Many businesses routinely deal with hazardous waste, but disposal mistakes happen and can be safety hazards on your property or at waste processing sites. You can help by:
- Ensuring your tenants follow all applicable laws and regulations when disposing of hazardous materials.
- Reminding tenants that common items like cleaning products, paints, and lithium batteries are not allowed in the trash or recycle. Remind tenants to take these items to an appropriate facility.
The URCO Waste Diversion Plan is a template you submit to the city showing how your building is recycling. 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 building
- If you contract with a waste hauler:
- Write the waste hauler's name (or names if you have more than one)
- Your 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 the city.
- If you haul your own trash and recyclables:
- 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, proof of training, distribution of 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 building.
- Update your plan whenever any of these change: waste hauling services, hauler, building operations, the person responsible for the Waste Diversion Plan.
- Submit/resubmit your plan any time the city requests it. A completed Waste Diversion Plan must be available at all times, upon request.
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.
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.