The Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance applies to most buildings considered "non-residential" properties within the City and County of Denver.
Examples of non-residential buildings include:
- Office buildings
- Retail stores
- Hotels
- Hospitals
- Venues
The ordinance does NOT apply to:
- Parking garages
- Parking structures
- Parking lots
- Vehicle depots
- Vacant lots
- Condemned properties
- Undeveloped land
Non-residential buildings are required to provide:
- Recycling services for customers, employees, and contractors. At minimum, recycling must be 30% of the total weekly service capacity.
- Signage that clearly identifies each waste stream, and education on proper waste sorting for customers, employees, and contractors.
Who is responsible: If URCO applies to your building, the responsible person (or party) must ensure it meets URCO's requirements. The person or responsible party for non-residential buildings is the:
- Building owner
- Condo or co-op owner's association
- Any person or business acting for one of the above, including the property manager
Other ways to comply: Buildings may comply through alternative means or by sharing services and costs.
See the Full Rules and Regulations(PDF, 258KB)
In some situations, you can ask for an exemption from the URCO requirements. For example:
- Financial hardship. If paying for recycling services would be so bad for your finances that you couldn’t keep up with normal operations or employment levels.
- De minimis volumes of materials. If the building throws away less than:
- A medium-sized (64-gallon) cart of trash per month.
- A large-sized (96-gallon) cart of recyclables per month.
- Inadequacy of waste hauling services. If you have tried to set up the required waste hauling services for your building but are unable to get service because:
- No licensed waste hauler can collect your materials at your location.
- Haulers can’t provide service quickly enough.
- Service options don’t meet URCO’s minimum service level requirements.
- There are access or operational issues that mean a hauler can’t provide service on time.
- Space constraints. If you don’t have space to put all the containers or the only space you have isn’t safe for the hauler to access.
If you plan to submit an exemption request, you will need to include the additional information listed in the table below. For each exemption type, you will need to specify that you are requesting an exemption from recycle service.
Situation
|
Information Needed for an Exemption
|
| Financial Hardship |
- Provide a description and documents showing you cannot financially support both normal operations and additional recycle services.
|
| De Minimus Volumes of Materials |
- Show documents proving the building creates trash and recycle below the minimum threshold.
|
| Inadequacy of Waste Hauling Service |
- Explain what actions you have taken and the reasons why getting service won't work for your building.
- Show documents proving what you have tried. For example, service requests or written refusals from waste haulers.
|
| Space Constraints |
- Photos of your space with an explanation for why it does not work for recycling or compost service
- If requested, share other information, documents, and explanations of the ways you have tried to follow the requirements in the space you have. For example, showing that you have tried different container sizes, changing your enclosure, etc.
|
If the city grants your request, you will need to renew the exemption each year. To renew, fill out the renewal form with updated information showing you still need it.
Request an Exemption
Having trouble submitting your Exemption request? If you experience a technical issue, please try again later. Denver is taking an education-first approach to compliance, providing resources, guidance, and support to help you understand what’s required and get on track.
The URCO Waste Diversion Plan is a template you submit to the city showing how your building complies with recycling access requirements.
Submit a Waste Diversion Plan
Having trouble submitting your Waste Diversion Plan? If you experience a technical issue, please try again later. Denver is taking an education-first approach to compliance, providing resources, guidance, and support to help you understand what’s required and get on track.
Use our checklist for step-by-step instructions for compliance, supporting materials, tips, and best practices.
Compliance Checklist for Non-Residential Buildings
These materials, samples, and template can get you started with training your staff, finding waste haulers, and keeping your whole team clear on the URCO requirements.
Example Signage and Downloadable Signs
Signage can be picture-only or bilingual. Signage provided by waste haulers may be used if it meets these requirements. The city also offers templates that meet the signage requirements:
Sample bilingual signs. Please download the signs using the buttons below instead of saving these images.
Additional Resources
These materials are a great starting place for training staff and tenants, and ensuring the whole building is educated about recycling requirements.