On November 8, 2022, 70% of Denver voters approved the Waste No More ballot initiative. The Waste No More ordinance requires:
- Buildings to provide recycling and composting services, including
- Apartment complexes
- Restaurants
- Commercial businesses
- Events permitted by the city to provide recycling and composting
- Construction and demolition projects to separate and recycle all recyclable materials, including
- Concrete
- Asphalt
- Clean wood
- Scrap metal
- Corrugated cardboard
Several city departments are working together to implement the Waste No More ordinance. Their goal is to ensure that:
- Businesses, particularly disadvantaged businesses, have the support they need to meet the requirements.
- There are fair and cost-effective ways to implement the ordinance.
- Proper infrastructure is in place to accept growing recycling and organics waste streams.
- Robust education and behavior change programs are in place to reduce contamination.
Quick Resources
Do you own a building or business and need waste haulers to meet Waste No More requirements? Find a list of licensed waste haulers.
Are you a contractor who needs to meet construction or demolition permit requirements? Visit the Waste No More Submittal Requirements website to submit your plan. You can also download the end-of-project compliance form.
Are you an event organizer who needs to meet the requirements for Waste No More for your permitted event? Submit a Waste Management Plan before your event.
The city formed a task force in 2023. Their goal was to assist in in enforcing, clarifying, and overseeing requirements for the Waste No More ordinance. This task force included:
- Representatives of the entities regulated by the ordinance
- Other stakeholders indirectly affected
- Ballot sponsors
- Members of the City Council
Task Force Members
- Allyson Gutierrez - Colorado Rockies Baseball Club
- Andrea Furness - Classic Events Co
- Anna Perks - Perks Deconstruction
- Christopher Berry - GFL Environmental
- Chris Chiari - Patterson Inn
- Chris Hinds - District 10
- Christi Turner - Scraps Ltd
- Chris Woodburn - Denver Public Schools
- Clinton Sander - A1 Organics
- Ean Thomas Tafoya - Green Latinos & Waste No More Petitioners
- Erwin Galvan - Waste Management Recycle America
- Holly Adinoff - Sullivan Scrap Kitchen
- Jessy Aghababian - Unico Properties
- Jolon Clark - District 7
- Joshua Jackson - NAACP
- JW Houser - Taylor Morrison/Homebuilders Association
- Laurie Johnson - Circular Colorado
- Luis Ponce - SEIU
- Maggie Nichols - Iron Woman Construction
- Marguerite Harden - Resident & HOA Board Member
- Peggy Panzer - Laramar Group/AAMD
- Renee Ortiz - Eventful Productions Inc
- Ryan J Call - Eco-Cycle
- Sonia Riggs - Colorado Restaurant Association
- Stephen Shepard - Denver Metro BOMA
- Vann Fussell - Compost Colorado
City Staff
- Anna Erickson - CASR
- Alexa Rosenstein - DEN
- Blake Adams - CASR
- Erica Rogers - EXL
- Grace Rink - CASR
- Gregg Thomas – DPHE
- Jessica Lally - DOTI
- Jill Jennings Golich - CPD
- Mary Gearheart – DOTI
- Meghan Sullivan - OSE
- Nina Waysdorf - DOTI
- Rose Watts - CCD OSE
- Taylor Moellers - CASR
- Tom Gleason - Buildings and Homes, CASR
Task Force Meeting Materials
The Waste No More Implementation Task Force met six times over six months in 2023. They established a charter and operating procedure(PDF, 186KB) at the first meeting. At the end of their process, the Task Force submitted a draft proposal of its recommendations. Several city departments are working on updates to the Waste No More ordinance. They are building support, rolling out implementation, and expanding education. However, there is no current timeline for when recommendations will go to City Council.
Waste No More Task Force Report(PDF, 1MB)
All Task Force meetings were recorded and open to the public. These recordings and minutes are below:
Meeting 1 Summary: Thursday, March 9, 2023
Meeting 2 Summary: Thursday, April 6, 2023
Meeting 3 Summary: Thursday May 4, 2023
Meeting 4 Summary: Thursday June 1, 2023
Meeting 5 Summary: Thursday, July 13, 2023
Virtual Town Hall: August 17, 2023
Meeting 6 Summary: Thursday, September 14, 2023
What is the Waste No More Ordinance?
The Waste No More Ordinance was a resident-led ballot initiative passed in 2022. This ordinance requires:
- Buildings in Denver to provide recycling and composting services.
- Permitted events to provide recycling and composting.
- Permitted construction and demolition activities to separate and recycle all recyclable materials.
Who must comply with the Waste No More Ordinance?
The following entities are subject to the Waste No More Ordinance:
- Residential buildings with eight or more dwelling units
- Non-residential buildings and businesses
- Permitted special events
- All permitted Construction and Demolition projects in Denver
When do covered entities need to comply?
The City and County of Denver is not currently issuing fines and fees. However, the compliance timelines in the original ballot language are in effect.
- June 1, 2022: All permitted special events must provide recycling and composting.
- June 1, 2023: All permitted construction & demolition projects must recycle all readily-recyclable materials.
- June 1, 2024: All residential buildings with eight or more units must ensure access to on-site recycling and composting.
- June 1, 2024: All non-residential buildings over 5,000 square feet must ensure access to on-site recycling.
- June 1, 2025: All non-residential buildings of any size must ensure access to on-site recycling.
In 2023, the Waste No More Task Force recommended updated timelines for compliance. These recommendations have not yet been brought to City Council. Various City agencies are working on the Waste No More ordinance. They are building support and expanding education. We encourage all covered entities to meet their Waste No More requirements as soon as possible.
What is the city doing now to ensure compliance with Waste No More requirements?
The City and County of Denver is not currently issuing fines and fees. The compliance timelines in the original ballot language are in effect.
Denver’s Department of Community Planning and Development currently requires builders to submit a recycling and reuse plan for demolition and new construction permits, as well as a compliance form at the end of the project.
Denver’s Office of Special Events requires a waste management plan from event organizers in order to issue special event permits.
Is this the same program as curbside residential waste services?
No. The curbside residential service, known as Solid Waste Management, is a separate service. The city provides this service to single family homes and multifamily buildings with fewer than eight units. Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure began Expanded Waste Collection Services for recycling and composting in January 2023.
The Waste No More ordinance applies to those not serviced by Solid Waste Management. These entities must follow the ordinance by arranging for recycling and composting services or self-haul.
Who picks up my trash?
The City and County of Denver's Solid Waste Management is responsible for the following:
- Residential Buildings with fewer than eight units
- City and County of Denver Facilities
- Denver Public Schools
- Single Family Homes
Private Haulers are responsible for the following:
- Arenas and Stadiums
- Residential Buildings with 8 or more units
- Private Schools and Universities
- Office Buildings and Hotels
- Hospitals and Nursing Facilities
- Restaurants and Stores
- Caterers and Commercial Kitchens
- Farmers Markets
- Construction and Demolition Projects
You can see the breakdown of these responsibilities in the graphic below:
What is the intended impact of the Waste No More Ordinance?
The purpose of this ordinance is to decrease the amount of waste sent to the landfill by increasing citywide access to recycling and composting.
What is the City and County of Denver's waste diversion goal?
To achieve a citywide solid waste diversion rate of 70% by 2032.
Why do we need access to recycling and composting in Denver?
Denver current sends 71% of all solid waste generated citywide to the landfill. That means only 29% of materials are reused, recycled, or composted. Decreasing how much material goes to the landfill helps conserve natural resources. It also helps reduce Denver’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Is Denver the first municipality tin the U.S. to adopt such a measure?
No. Several cities in the U.S. have similar requirements in place. These include the City of Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA; and the City of Boulder, CO, to name a few. Cities that have such rules in place send fewer materials to the landfill. Instead, they reuse, recycle, and compost many more materials.
Where can I read the existing Waste No More Ordinance ballot language?
The ballot language is available here.
I have additional questions not answered here. How can I learn more?
If you have questions, please e-mail us at wastenomore@denvergov.org for support.