Recycling Tips from the Road

Did you know that Denver Recycles crews collected over 37,000 tons of recyclables in 2015? That’s nearly 300,000 pounds of materials collected each and every day! This amazing feat is made possible by lots of hard work and cooperation, with a special thanks to their skilled and dedicated team of equipment operators that collect materials in their specialized collection trucks. Each of these trucks empties up to 1,000 recycling carts each day.With so many recycling carts being emptied by crews each day, it is very important to ensure that purple carts are set out properly throughout the City. To help their drivers continue to collect Denver’s recyclables smoothly and efficiently, Denver Recycles asks that you help us to better serve you by following the service guidelines below:

1. Provide at least two feet of space on each side of your cart when setting it out for collection. The automated collection arm that grabs the carts needs space between carts and other obstacles in order to lift them up and empty them. If carts are set out properly, the driver shouldn’t ever need to get out of the truck!
2. Place all recyclables inside your purple cart. Extra items such as loose recyclables or cardboard stacked on the ground next to your cart will not get collected. The automated collection system is not equipped to collect overflow recyclables outside of the purple carts.
3. Make sure your purple cart faces out towards the street or alley for collection, with the wheels closest to the property. Carts that are set out backwards do not empty properly when tipped by the truck.
4. Set your cart out at its designated set-out location for collection. The recycling collection trucks can only collect carts on one side of the truck. If you’re not sure of your proper setting location, please contact us for this information.
5. Have your cart out by 7 a.m. on your scheduled recycling collection day. Collections can occur at any time between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on your service day. To ensure you don’t forget any of your Denver Solid Waste Management collections, consider downloading or importing your customized service calendar, signing up for email or phone call reminders, or downloading the “Denver Trash and Recycling” app.

For additional information about proper recycling cart set out and general recycling information, visit DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles or call 311 (720-913-1311).