Commercial waste service in Denver is different from the city’s residential collection program. Businesses, larger apartment communities and most commercial properties generally need to arrange service through a private waste hauler.
A strong waste program should account for trash, recycling, compostable material, container placement, tenant participation, collection frequency and the fees that may apply when containers are contaminated or inaccessible.
How commercial collection works in Denver
Denver Solid Waste Management serves eligible residential properties and municipal facilities. The city states that it is not authorized to provide collection service to commercial properties such as businesses and apartment communities.
Commercial properties therefore need to select a private hauler and confirm that the company serves the address and provides the needed waste streams.
Possible services include:
- Recurring trash collection
- Mixed recycling
- Compost or organics collection
- Cardboard collection
- Compactor service
- Roll-off dumpsters
- Construction debris hauling
- Bulk-item removal
- Special-event service
- Secure document destruction
- Grease, food-waste or specialty recycling
Understand Waste No More requirements
Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance, formerly known as Waste No More, has a September 1, 2026 compliance date. It requires recycling at covered non-residential buildings, recycling and composting at covered multifamily properties and food businesses, and diversion at covered construction projects. Owners and managers should confirm the current rules and any applicable exemption before changing service.
Questions to confirm include:
- Is recycling required at this property?
- Is compost collection required?
- Which tenants or occupants must have access?
- What labels or signs are required?
- Are there reporting obligations?
- Does a construction project require a recycling and reuse plan?
- Is a final compliance form required?
Assess the property’s waste streams
Before requesting proposals, record:
- Number of tenants or employees
- Property operating hours
- Existing container sizes
- Pickup frequency
- Overflow incidents
- Cardboard volume
- Food-waste generation
- Landscaping debris
- Bulky-item needs
- Renovation activity
- Contamination problems
- Enclosure dimensions
- Gate, lock and access limitations
A restaurant, medical office, apartment community and warehouse will generate very different material.
Trash service
Trash capacity should be sized for ordinary nonrecyclable material without encouraging cardboard, bottles or food scraps to be placed in garbage.
Warning signs include:
- Lids regularly left open
- Bags placed outside containers
- Repeated extra pickups
- Odor complaints
- Pest activity
- Material blocking enclosure access
- Tenants using neighboring containers
Better recycling and compost separation may reduce the need for larger garbage containers.
Recycling service
Commercial recycling commonly includes clean cardboard, paper, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, and accepted plastic containers. Confirm the hauler’s exact acceptance list.
Cardboard often creates the largest capacity issue. Require tenants to flatten boxes and consider a dedicated cardboard container or baler for high-volume sites.
Compost and organics service
Properties generating food scraps or other organic material may need a dedicated compost program.
Potential sources include:
- Restaurants
- Grocery stores
- Hotels
- Office kitchens
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Apartment communities
- Cafeterias
- Landscaped properties
Ask whether the provider supplies indoor containers, liners, labels, employee training, contamination reports and container-cleaning options.
How to compare commercial waste haulers
Request written proposals based on identical assumptions.
Base service
Identify the price for each container, material stream, pickup schedule, compactor and lock or gate service.
Additional fees
Ask about:
- Contamination
- Overflow
- Extra pickups
- Blocked containers
- Container delivery or exchange
- Fuel or environmental charges
- Administrative fees
- Disposal-rate increases
- Early cancellation
Contract terms
Review the initial term, automatic renewal, required cancellation notice, annual increases and procedures for changing service.
Missed pickups
Ask how quickly missed service is corrected, how the cause is documented and who handles escalations.
Waste enclosure planning
The enclosure should allow reliable truck access. Review:
- Gate width
- Overhead clearance
- Turning space
- Pavement condition
- Drainage
- Lighting
- Locks
- Snow and ice
- Parked vehicles
- Fire-lane conflicts
- Nearby windows or air intakes
Multifamily property considerations
Effective apartment waste programs include:
- Consistent container colors
- Picture-based signs
- Instructions in appropriate languages
- Convenient recycling and compost access
- Cardboard rules
- Bulky-item procedures
- Move-in and move-out instructions
- Regular enclosure inspections
- A response plan for illegal dumping
Construction and demolition waste
Denver has paused construction recycling and reuse compliance-document submissions until September 1, 2026. For permit applications on or after that date, covered construction and demolition work and larger interior alterations must meet diversion requirements and submit the plans and compliance records required by the city.
Assign responsibility in the construction contract so the owner, general contractor and waste provider understand who maintains the records.
Questions to ask before signing
- Do you serve this Denver address?
- Which waste streams are available?
- What container sizes fit the enclosure?
- How often will each container be collected?
- Which fees are outside the base rate?
- How are contamination charges documented?
- What happens if the truck cannot access the container?
- Can service be adjusted seasonally?
- How much notice is required to cancel?
- Does the agreement renew automatically?
- Do you provide signs or training?
- Can you provide temporary construction dumpsters?
- Who handles missed pickups?
- Do you provide diversion reports?
Find commercial waste providers in Denver
Denver Commercial Services helps property managers and businesses identify commercial waste, recycling, compost and hauling companies serving the Denver metro area.
Use the directory as a starting point, then verify current coverage, pricing, authorization and contract terms directly.
Sources and official resources
These links are provided for reference and do not imply an endorsement.