Thousands of Denver Solid Waste Management customers will receive a notice that their compost collection service will soon begin as part of Denver’s efforts to expand collection services and reduce the amount of waste it sends to the landfill. “The goal is to grow our compost service thoughtfully and carefully, taking into account that we are delivering a significant service level increase and introducing a big shift in how most residents currently manager their waste,” said Adam Phipps, Executive Director of DOTI. “We’ll use a phased approach that allows us time to coordinate with residents and stabilize service levels in one area before moving on to the next.”
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) will roll out weekly compost service district by district, focusing on helping customers understand what items to place in their newly delivered green carts. Once compost service is rolled out out in SWC District 2, DOTI will move on to SWC District 4, which includes residents in Montbello, Gateway, and Green Valley Ranch. The department is prioritizing neighborhoods with lower diversion rates in its rollout, and is developing a rollout schedule for the remaining districts.
New customers will receive a compost cart, a small kitchen pail and an updated compost how-to guide to get them started. Compost and recycling combined can reduce waste in most homes by more than half, making it easy for many to utilize a small cart for trash. In January, Denver moved to a volume-based pricing model for trash collection service to curb waste the city sends to the landfill. Residents pay for what they throw based on their trash cart size, with weekly recycling and composting included at no additional cost. So far, Denver has increased recycling by 12% in 2023, diverting 2,443 more tons of recyclable material from the landfill compared to last year. Compost collections are also up 6% among our 30,000 existing compost customers.