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Recycling

The city provides curbside recycling to all single-home residences at no additional cost. Recyclables are picked up on every other normal trash day.

Curbside Recycling Schedule

Sign Up

To participate in curbside recycling, you can sign up online or call 303.450.4004. 

The city will drop off a recycling cart at your home. Recycling carts have blue lids, while trash carts are completely green. (The recycling cart remains the property of the city.)

You can have up to four trash/recycling carts at your residence:

  • Three trash carts and one recycling cart
  • Two trash carts and two recycling carts


Customers should use this guide on what can and cannot be recycled.

SIGN UP FOR CURBSIDE RECYCLING

Curbside Recycling Process
Preparation
The city's recycling program is single-stream, which means that different kinds of recyclables such as plastics, paper, glass, etc. are all put into a single bin. There's no need to sort items - just place them loose in the blue-lid recycling cart.  DO NOT BAG.

On the Curb
All materials meant for curbside recycling MUST be placed inside the blue-lid recycling cart and the lid MUST be closed. Anything left outside the cart can not be taken.

Please place the cart out on your curb by 7 a.m. with the front facing the street and the handles facing the home. Position carts at least 2 feet away from each other and 6 feet away from vehicles.

Pickup
Don’t worry if a city truck comes by and picks up your trash and not your recyclables (or vice-versa). Another truck should be by later that day as trash and recyclables are handled by separate trucks.


Recycling Drop-off Sites
Maintenance & Operations Facility, 12301 Claude Court
For Northglenn residents ONLY
Hours: Open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, and on the first Saturday of the month from December through March and every Saturday from April through November, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The rules in terms of what can or cannot be recycled are the same for the drop-off site as for curbside recycling.

Northwest Open Space Recycling Center
Located on north side of facility, off of West 112th Avenue and Ranch Drive
For individuals ONLY (no commercial companies)
Hours: The Northwest Open Space Recycling Center will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city may adjust the times based on use and need. 

The facility will accept the following items. Please clean out any food residue: 

  • Cardboard and paperboard (shoeboxes, etc.) 
  • Office paper 
  • Magazines and junk mail
  • Phone books 
  • Brown paper bags 
  • Plastic household containers 
  • Glass bottles and jars 
  • Empty aerosol cans 
  • Aluminum and steel cans 
  • Food and beverage cartons 


Items not accepted include (but are not limited to):

  • Plastic bags or any other thin plastics such as packaging materials
  • Styrofoam/polystyrene materials

Related Links

What Can & Can't Be Recycled?

Food and Beverage Cartons
• Empty all contents
• Remove straws and caps

- NO juice pouches -
- Do NOT flatten cartons - 

Products commonly stored in cartons:
• Milk (dairy, soy and almond)
• Juice
• Cream
• Egg white and egg substitute
• Soup and broth
• Protein drinks
• Eggnog
• Wine
• Tofu
• Small juice boxes
• Ice cream and frozen yogurt
Plastics
Plastic bottles, jugs, jars, tubs, cups and containers marked with the #1 through #7 in the recycling symbols. 

OK for Recycling
• Soda, water, shampoo, and soap bottles
• Milk, laundry detergent, and cat litter jugs
• Yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter tubs
• Peanut butter and mayonnaise jars
• "To-go” or “take out” plastic drinking cups
• Plastic trays like those used for microwave dinners
• Clear "Clam-Shell” containers like those used to package strawberries, bakery goods and salads
• Plastic egg cartons and cookie divider shells

- NO plastic bags, plastic lids or caps - 
- NO Styrofoam or plastic shrink wrap - 
- NO plastic toys or plastic toothpaste type tubes -
- NO "K-cups" or individual coffee creamers -
- NO plastic containers larger than 3 gallons in size -
- NO garden hoses -
- NO vinyl -
- NO hangers -
Aluminum
• Aluminum cans, foil, trays and pie plates are all accepted for recycling
• Remove as much food residue as possible

- NO foil bags, such as potato chip bags-
Cardboard & Paperboard
• Please break down large boxes to save space and make it easier for sorting
• Pizza boxes are accepted, if they are not too greasy
• Remove plastic bags, plastic film or wax paper bags

OK for Recycling
• Boxes for cereal, tissues, beverages, food, soap, etc.
• Gift, shirt and shoe boxes
• Hanging file folders
• Paper egg cartons
• Paper towel and toilet paper tubes
• Frozen food boxes (but not the ones that have a waxy, white coating on the inside)

- NO wax coated cardboard -
- NO foil coated paperboard -
- NO paper cups -
Food & Beverage Glass
• Food and beverage bottles and jars only
• Remove lids
• Large metal lids can be recycled, but still must be removed

- NO window glass -
- NO glass vases or drinking cups - 
- NO ceramics or dishes - 
- NO light bulbs -
Office Paper, Junk Mail & Other Papers
Window envelopes are okay to recycle
Paperclips, stamps, staples, tape and sticky notes are okay
OK for Recycling:
  • Opened mail
  • Wrapping paper and greeting cards (non-foiled coated)
  • Postcards, index cards and file folders
  • Loose leaf and legal pad paper
  • Stationary, letterhead, copy and typing paper
  • Paper envelopes (plastic windows okay)
  • Brochures and glossy ads

- NO shredded paper  
- NO plastic wrappers 
- NO tissue paper, ribbon or bows 
- NO bubble envelopes or Tyvek® (polyethylene fiber) envelopes, such as some overnight mailing envelopes 
Newspapers, Magazines and Catalogs
• Remove plastic bags and wrap
• Discard non-paper inserts such as magnets or sample packets
Paper Bags
• Remove food wrappings and any food
• Department store "non-glossy" type paper bags are okay, but remove rope handles

- NO plastic bags -
- NO microwave popcorn bags -
Phone Books
Remove bags, plastic wrap and magnets
Steel and Empty Aerosol Cans
• Aerosol cans must be empty
• Labels are okay
• Remove plastic caps unless they are part of the can
• Spray nozzles are okay

- NO full or partially-full aerosol cans -
- Do NOT puncture cans -
These Items Should Not Go In The Recycling Bins or Carts
  • Yard Waste
  • Styrofoam
  • Plastic bags and film
  • Garden hoses
  • Shredded paper
  • Electronics
  • Wood
  • Metal
  • Food/liquids
Contact

Sanitation Division
303.450.4004

Hours
Monday - Friday
7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.