Tips on Trash & Recycling

Tips on Trash 

  • It is a good idea to bag all trash and place it in a closed container to protect it from the weather, insects, and animals.
  • Debris such as dirt, concrete, rocks, bricks, building materials, sand, gravel, and other bulky, heavy materials should be contained and collected in small amounts and must not weigh more than 50 pounds. Large items such as furniture and tree branches may be placed at the curb for a large item pick-up only after scheduling with Public Works.
  • Brush and branches need to be cut into a length of less than 10 feet.
  • Empty all liquid from containers before putting containers in the trash.
  • Make sure children's toys and bikes are not placed near curbside trash.
  • Hypodermic needles in the trash pose a health hazard to you, your family, and our drivers. Please place old needles, razor blades, or any other sharp object into a hard plastic container with a lid that screws on. Bleach bottles are good choices. Place the tightly sealed container in your regular trash and not with your recyclables.
  • Broken glass and mirrors can be put in your regular trash pickup. Please wrap in newspaper and label them for the driver's safety and yours.

Tips on Recycling

  • All Recyclable Materials must be placed in a standard Waste Connections poly cart to allow for the automated truck to dump the container. Make sure your poly cart is placed out in front and accessible so the driver will be able to reach it with the mechanical arm.
  • One 95-gallon recycle poly cart for each single-family household is provided free of charge from Waste Connections.  To request a poly cart, please call Waste Connections at 303-288-2100.
  • Recycling is an automated single-stream service that allows you to mix together newspapers, and other paper products (see below), plastic bottles, glass, and metal cans in the same bin. They will be mechanically sorted at the recycling center. No non-recyclable trash, please.
  • Pick-up dates are every other week, on the same day as your trash pick-up. 
  • Recycle motor oil and old car batteries at most auto parts and stores.

What Can Be Recycled?

Waste Connections allow for single-stream recycling of the following items (sorting not necessary): 

  • Paper: Newspapers and other inserts, magazines, junk mail, white and colored paper, posters, post-it notes, manila folder, phone books, cereal boxes without the plastic insert, waxed cardboard milk cartons, corrugated cardboard (flattened), brown paper bags and chipboard (i.e. tissue boxes) can be put together in one bin. No shredded paper.
  • Aluminum beverage cans: Soft drink and beer cans. Aluminum pet food and other cans are also okay, but please rinse them out first.
  • Steel cans & empty aerosol cans: Soup cans, vegetable cans, coffee cans, etc. Empty aerosol cans such as deodorant, hair products, cleaning products. If a magnet will attach to the can then it is steel and some of the "mini" steel mills manufacture their products from 100% recycled steel.
  • Glass bottles and jars: Food jars as well as beer bottles, soft drink, and wine bottles are fine. You may leave the labels on, but please remove the lids, and rinse food containers. Any color of glass bottle is acceptable. Please do not include any window glass, drinking glasses, ceramics, Pyrex, light bulbs or any glass that is not a bottle or jar.
  • Plastic #1 - #7: Most plastic including soft drink, milk, juice, detergent and shampoo bottles can be recycled. Look for the recycling numbers 1-7 on the bottom of the container. An exception would be food containers such as the Styrofoam or plastic to-go boxes are not accepted. You may leave on any labels, but please remove the lids. Please do not include oil, pesticide or hazardous material bottles. No plastic bags.

Non-Acceptable Materials

Carry-Out Service

Waste Connections offers a carry-out service for any resident who may be physically unable to move their solid waste and/or recyclables to the collection area. In order to accomplish this, the trash and recycle bins must be accessible to the collection driver and cannot be retrieved behind fences, in backyards or in garages. Collection drivers will retrieve the waste and recyclables in the accessible area, empty into the collection vehicle, and return the bin to the original area.  To sign up for this free service, please call Waste Connections at 303-288-2100.