Denver Mayor and City Council Solid Waste Program Update – November 12, 2024

This meeting of the Mayor and Denver City Council focused on updates to the city's solid waste program, including an accelerated compost rollout, changes to recycling and large item pickup schedules, and related operational and environmental impacts. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) team presented their plan and answered council questions.

Discussion Items

• Accelerated Compost Rollout: DOTI Executive Director Amy Ford announced that compost service citywide would be completed by March 15, 2025, ahead of the original end-of-2025 target. Residents must opt in by January 10, 2025, to receive a compost cart. The city will hold “come and get it” events and use a contractor to deliver approximately 40,000 carts. Councilwoman Diana Romero Campbell questioned the opt-in approach, noting it may lead to low participation and more trash. The team explained that an opt-out model in a previous rollout led to high contamination, so opt-in was adopted to ensure better composting practices.
• Bi-Weekly Recycling: Starting January 6, 2025, recycling will be collected every two weeks instead of weekly. DOTI cited that recycling bins are only 50–58% full on average, and weekly recycling adds 170,000 truck miles and uses 50,000 gallons of fuel annually (vehicles get 3 mpg). Residents who need extra capacity can request a second recycling cart. Council President Amanda Sandoval expressed concern that less frequent recycling could cause problems for high recyclers.
• Large Item Pickup Change: Large item pickup will shift from every four weeks to every nine weeks. Amy Ford noted that the program was originally intended for large items, not general trash, and that the longer interval may reduce landfill waste. Council President Sandoval raised strong concerns that this change will increase illegal dumping, especially in areas near other jurisdictions, and pointed to existing problems under bridges. Rich, Solid Waste Director, responded that the city will deploy a full-time illegal dump truck crew working 40 hours a week to address complaints faster. Sandoval questioned the effectiveness of enforcement in high-risk areas.
• Cart Backlog: DOTI acknowledged a backlog of cart requests (e.g., size changes, damage replacements) with wait times of 2–6 weeks. A surge effort during January–February 2025 aims to reduce waits to under 30 days.
• Other Topics: A pilot program for electric solid waste vehicles will begin in 2025. Council members also discussed options for disposing of tree branches after a snowstorm; the Cherry Creek drop-off site (7301 East Jewell) accepts branches, and the city is considering adding Monday hours.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Plan: The city will implement the new schedule starting January 6, 2025: weekly trash, bi-weekly recycling, weekly compost (for those who opt in), and nine-week large item pickup. The compost rollout will be completed by March 15, 2025.
• Council Concerns: Multiple council members voiced worries about increased illegal dumping, the opt-in compost model, and the impact on residents who rely on frequent service. No formal vote was taken on the plan itself; it was presented as an administrative decision.
• Executive Session: The council voted unanimously to enter executive session to discuss litigation settlement and collective bargaining, pursuant to DRMC 23-3 C(1) and 23-4 A(3) and (6).