Denver Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling, Compost & Large Item 2026

Find your Denver trash day, A/B recycling week, weekly compost service, large item pickup timing, holiday delays, and official lookup tools.

City and County of Denver · Solid Waste Management · Updated March 2026

⭐ Collection Day Finder

Find Your Denver Collection Day

Select your regular service day to see your weekly trash and compost schedule, biweekly recycling, large item timing, and 2026 holiday impact.

👈 Select your day above to see your complete Denver collection schedule.

⚠ Need your exact A/B week, set-out location, or Large Item week? Use the official Denver schedule lookup or the Denver Trash & Recycling app. See official options ↓

At a Glance

Denver Waste Collection — Quick Facts

Denver Solid Waste Management provides weekly trash, weekly compost, every-other-week recycling, and Large Item Pickup every 9 weeks for eligible customers. Residents can look up their exact collection day, A/B recycle week, set-out location, and Large Item week using the City’s online schedule tool or the Denver Trash & Recycling app.

🗑

Trash

Weekly

Black cart

♻

Recycling

Every other week

Purple cart — A/B week

🌿

Compost

Weekly

Green cart

📦

Large Items

Every 9 weeks

Same day as regular collection

🏠

Drop-Off

Cherry Creek

Recycling & compost drop-off

⚠ Your exact service details are address-specific. Denver residents should always verify their set-out location, A/B recycling week, and Large Item week using the official lookup tool or app.

🔗 Related Guide Want to understand how trash collection works across the US? Read: How Trash Collection Works in the US (Schedules, Times & Rules)

Three-Cart System

Trash, Recycling & Compost — How Denver Collection Works

Denver uses a simple 3-cart residential system: black for trash, purple for recycling, and green for compost. Trash and compost are collected weekly; recycling is collected every other week. Large Item Pickup happens every 9 weeks on the same day as your normal service day.

🗑

Black Cart — Trash

Bag all trash and keep it inside the cart. Denver bills trash service based on cart size.

Collected weekly.

Weekly • Bag all trash

♻

Purple & Green Carts

Purple cart for recycling every other week. Green cart for compost every week.

Recycling biweekly • Compost weekly.

A/B recycle week • Weekly compost

⏰ Core Collection Rules

Set carts out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, but no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the night before.
Leave at least 2 feet of clearance on all sides of each cart.
Bag trash, but never bag recycling.
Compost may be placed loose or in small CMA-certified compost bags.
Keep lids closed. Overfilled, stuffed, or overly heavy carts may not be emptied.

🔗 Related Guide See how the US trash and recycling system compares city to city: Trash and Recycling Guide in the US (Rules, Pickup & Recycling Explained 2026)

Set-Out Rules

Denver Cart Set-Out Rules & Storage

Denver collection is automated, so proper cart placement matters. If carts are blocked by cars, poles, fences, large items, or other carts, they may be skipped. The official lookup tool also tells you your exact set-out location for your address.

📍 On Collection Day

Set carts out by 6:00 a.m. and keep at least 2 feet of space around each cart.

Make sure carts are away from garage overhangs, gutters, poles, or parked vehicles.

🏠 On Non-Collection Days

Store all carts on your property, not in the alley or street.

Carts continually left out can be removed and create access issues or neighborhood clutter.

💡 Best move for new residents: look up your address first. Denver’s tool shows your service day, set-out location, A/B recycle week, and Large Item week in one place.

Holiday Schedule

Denver Holiday Garbage Schedule 2026

Denver Solid Waste delays collection by one day for the rest of the week when service falls on or after an observed Solid Waste holiday. In 2026, the City’s schedule page lists the following observed holidays affecting service: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (observed July 3), Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Holiday	2026 Date	Collection Impact	Example
New Year’s Day	Thu, Jan 1	1-Day Delay	Thu routes move to Fri
Memorial Day	Mon, May 25	1-Day Delay	Mon routes move to Tue
Independence Day (Observed)	Fri, Jul 3	1-Day Delay	Fri/late-week service shifts
Labor Day	Mon, Sep 7	1-Day Delay	Mon routes move to Tue
Thanksgiving Day	Thu, Nov 26	1-Day Delay	Thu routes move to Fri
Christmas Day	Fri, Dec 25	1-Day Delay	Fri/late-week service shifts

💡 Rule of thumb: if your service falls on or after one of Denver’s observed Solid Waste holidays, your pickup moves one day later for that week only.

🔗 Related Guide Holiday delays compared across all major US cities: Holiday Trash Pickup in the US (Schedule Changes & Delays Explained)

Purple Cart Recycling

Denver Purple Cart — What’s Accepted

Denver recycling is collected every other week. All recycling should be empty, dry, and loose. No plastic bags of any kind are allowed in the purple cart. If an item is not clearly accepted, Denver says to check the Waste Directory or throw it out.

✅ Accepted in the Purple Cart

Plastic containers: bottles, tubs, jugs, jars, cups
Aluminum beverage cans and steel/tin food cans
Clean aluminum foil balled up and aluminum trays
Glass bottles and jars
Flattened cardboard and paperboard boxes
Mixed paper, newspaper, magazines, cartons
Non-greasy pizza boxes and delivery boxes (flattened)

🚫 Never in the Purple Cart

Plastic bags, shrink wrap, bubble wrap, soft plastics
Styrofoam and packing peanuts
Garden hoses, cords, lights, and other tanglers
Scrap metal, propane tanks, pots and pans
Mirrors, window glass, automotive glass
“Compostable” packaging and disposable cutlery
Food-soiled paper that is not recyclable

⚠ Plastic bags are Denver’s #1 recycling contaminant. If you bag your recycling, empty the items loose into the cart and throw the bag away.

🔗 Related Guide Learn the most common US recycling mistakes and how to avoid them: How to Recycle Properly in the US (Rules, Bins & Common Mistakes)

Green Compost Cart

Denver Green Cart — What You Can Compost

Denver compost collection is weekly. The green cart accepts food scraps and yard & plant trimmings. Compost can be placed loose in the cart, or in small CMA-certified compost bags. Denver does not accept most paper products or compostable packaging in the green cart.

✅ Accepted in the Green Cart

Fruits and vegetables
Prepared food and spoiled food
Meat, fish, bones, eggs, eggshells
Bread, cereal, baked goods, coffee grounds
Dairy products
Grass clippings, leaves, weeds, flowers
Branches, brush, and yard debris

🚫 Never in the Green Cart

Paper products and paper towels
Compostable packaging, utensils, and tableware
Plastics, glass, and metals
Pet waste
Treated or glued wood
Produce stickers
Sod, dirt, and mulch

💡 Heavy yard season: Denver allows brown Kraft compostable leaf bags during heavy yard waste seasons, but regular plastic bags are never allowed in compost.

🔗 Related Guide Yard waste rules compared across the US: Yard Waste Pickup Rules in the US (What’s Allowed & What’s Not)

Large Item Pickup

Denver Large Item Pickup — Every 9 Weeks

Denver collects large or bulky items every 9 weeks on the same day as your regular trash and recycling collection. Each service address can set out a maximum of 5 large items and up to 10 additional bags during its scheduled Large Item week.

📅 Large Item Pickup Rules

Look up your address to find your next Large Item Pickup week.
Set items out by 6:00 a.m. on your normal collection day.
Keep large items at least 2 feet away from carts, poles, cars, and obstructions.
Only set items out during your scheduled week. Putting them out at other times may be treated as illegal dumping.

✅ Accepted Large Items

Furniture
Large toys
Non-electric bicycles
Rugs
Exercise equipment
Bundled branches (max 4 ft long / 4 in diameter)
Mattresses and box springs (must be bagged and wrapped)

🚫 Not Accepted in Large Item Pickup

Electronic waste
Construction materials, fencing, pallets, concrete, bricks
Automotive materials
Stumps, dirt, sod, and unbundled branches
Commercial or industrial waste
Hazardous materials, batteries, paint, tires
Appliances and loose trash

⚠ Mattresses must be bagged and wrapped. And appliances, electronics, paint, and hazardous waste must use Denver’s other specialty programs, not Large Item Pickup.

🔗 Related Guide How bulk trash pickup works across the US, city by city: Bulk Trash Pickup in the US (Rules, Scheduling & What’s Accepted)

Drop-Off Center

Cherry Creek Recycling & Compost Drop-Off

The Cherry Creek Recycling and Compost Drop-off gives Denver residents a free way to drop off extra recycling and compostable material beyond curbside service.

📍 Location & Hours

7400 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80231
Near the intersection of S. Quebec St. and E. Cherry Creek South Drive
Tuesday–Friday: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and City holidays

🚚 Drop-Off Rules

Denver residents only — proof of residency required
Up to 2 visits per resident, per day
No commercial vehicles, trailers, or landscaping/commercial loads
Branches must be max 4 feet long and 4 inches diameter
Only materials accepted in Denver’s regular recycling and compost programs are accepted here

Special Recycling

Electronics, Paint & Hazardous Waste in Denver

Denver uses separate programs for items that cannot go in curbside trash, recycling, compost, or Large Item Pickup. Electronics, bulbs, batteries, paint, and hazardous materials should use specialty recycling options.

✅ Use Specialty Programs For

TVs, monitors, and electronics
Household hazardous waste
Paint recycling
Batteries and fluorescent bulbs
Appliance collection
Propane tanks and other tricky materials

🚫 Never Put at the Curb

Hazardous chemicals
Paint and solvents
Batteries
Electronics
Tires
Appliances during regular or large-item service

🖥 E-cycle Coupon Program

Denver offers residents an E-cycle Coupon for discounted recycling of televisions, monitors, and other electronic items through Blue Star Recyclers. Limit one coupon per household per calendar year.

🎨 Paint Recycling

Denver directs residents to Colorado PaintCare drop-off sites for paint recycling. Unwanted leftover paint can usually be recycled at participating retailers at no charge.

Missed Pickup

What to Do If Your Trash Wasn’t Collected in Denver

Check whether it was a holiday week. If your service falls on or after an observed holiday, pickup is delayed one day for the rest of that week.
Confirm your set-out was correct: by 6:00 a.m., lid closed, 2 feet of clearance, no blocked access.
Verify your exact schedule and A/B week using the official schedule lookup or Denver Trash & Recycling app.
Leave carts at the designated set-out location if they were missed.
Report the missed pickup to 311 online or by phone if it was not missed for one of the reasons above.

Denver reminder: collection vehicles do not return for late set-outs. If the cart was not out by 6:00 a.m., it may not be collected until the next scheduled service.

Local Tips

Denver Trash & Recycling Tips Every Resident Should Know

🏠 New to Denver?

Look up your address right away. Denver’s schedule system shows your pickup day, A/B recycle week, set-out location, and Large Item week. That single lookup prevents most missed-pickup problems.

🥫 Denver Compost Is a Big Deal

Denver promotes weekly compost service because food scraps and yard debris make up a large share of what households throw away. The green cart can take meat, dairy, bones, prepared food, and yard debris — but not paper products or compostable packaging.

🚫 5 Common Denver Mistakes

Bagging recyclables before putting them in the purple cart
Putting compostable packaging or paper towels in the green cart
Forgetting Large Item Pickup only happens every 9 weeks
Leaving carts in the alley or street on non-collection days
Setting carts too close to cars, fences, or other carts

Contact

Contact Denver Solid Waste Management

Contact	Details
Denver 311	Call 311 or 720-913-1311 for missed pickups, cart issues, service questions, and general Solid Waste help
Schedule Lookup	Find Schedules and Reminders — exact pickup day, set-out location, A/B recycle week, Large Item week, and holiday impacts
Denver Trash & Recycling App	Official city app for collection reminders and calendar view of upcoming services
Trash, Recycle & Compost	Denver Solid Waste home page — trash, recycling, compost, large items, and service guides
Cherry Creek Drop-Off	7400 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80231 — recycling and compost drop-off for Denver residents
Waste Directory	Denver Waste Directory — search how to recycle or dispose of specific items
E-cycle Coupon	Electronic Recycling — discounted electronics recycling program for Denver residents

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions — Denver Trash Pickup

Your trash day depends on your address. Denver residents should use the City’s schedule lookup or Denver Trash & Recycling app to confirm their exact service day, set-out location, and upcoming collection dates.

Recycling is every other week in Denver. The purple recycling cart follows an A/B week schedule, so you should check your address-specific calendar to confirm your next recycling day.

Yes. Denver’s green compost cart is collected weekly for customers with compost service. Food scraps and yard debris are accepted, but compostable packaging and most paper products are not.

Set carts out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day, and no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the night before. Collection vehicles do not return for late set-outs.

Yes. During observed Solid Waste holiday weeks, service is delayed one day for the rest of the week if your collection falls on or after the holiday. Check the official holiday calendar for the affected 2026 dates.

No. Denver does not accept plastic bags in the purple cart. Recycling should be empty, dry, and loose inside the cart.

Large Item Pickup happens every 9 weeks on the same day as your regular collection day. You must check your address to know exactly which week is your next large-item week.

Acceptable items include furniture, rugs, large toys, exercise equipment, non-electric bicycles, bundled branches, and wrapped mattresses or box springs. Electronics, appliances, paint, hazardous waste, construction debris, and tires are not accepted.

Use the Cherry Creek Recycling and Compost Drop-off at 7400 Cherry Creek S Dr. It is for Denver residents only and accepts materials allowed in Denver’s regular recycling and compost programs.

First check for a holiday delay and confirm your cart was set out correctly by 6:00 a.m. with enough clearance. If it was still missed, contact Denver 311 or submit a service request online.

Official Source

Still Can’t Find Your Collection Day?

If the Collection Day Finder above hasn’t resolved your question, use Denver’s official lookup tools. They show your exact service day, recycling A/B week, set-out location, large item week, and holiday adjustments.

🔍 Official Denver Lookup & Contact Options

All of the following are free and help confirm your exact schedule:

🔍 Look Up My Schedule 📞 Call 311 — 720-913-1311

Schedule Lookup	Denver Find Schedules and Reminders — service day, set-out location, A/B recycle week, Large Item week, and holiday impacts
Denver 311	Call 311 or 720-913-1311 for missed pickups, cart help, or service questions
Denver Trash & Recycling App	Use the app for collection reminders and calendar view of upcoming services
Waste Directory	Waste Directory — find out how to dispose of specific items
Cherry Creek Drop-Off	Free recycling and compost drop-off for Denver residents at 7400 Cherry Creek S Dr

You will leave this website when using any of the links above.

Outside Denver city limits? Aurora, Lakewood, Westminster, Thornton, Arvada, and other nearby cities have their own waste providers and schedules.

Nearby Cities

Trash & Recycling Schedules for Cities Near Denver

Looking for waste collection information in another nearby city? Here are five city pages to connect from Denver:

🏭Phoenix 🏭Las Vegas 🏭Dallas 🏭Houston 🏭Chicago