Recycle, Compost & Reuse 

Looking for recycling and composting guidelines?

Check out the green sidebar! ➡  ➡  ➡

If every business, school, community event and home recycled, composted, reused and used the full Zero Waste services available to us in Boulder County, our community could potentially divert 80% or more of our waste from the landfill!

Here are the services, guidelines, maps, tools—everything you need to reach your own 80% goal (or better!) to help keep materials in the production loop instead of having to deplete more of our natural resources to make new products.

RECYCLE 

WATCH the new optical sorter in action at the Boulder County Recycling Center!

The Boulder County Recycling Center, owned by the county and operated by Eco-Cycle, recently completed state-of-the-art upgrades, allowing more plastics to be recycled than ever before. Some new recyclables, accepted in all curbside single-stream recycling bins, include plastic "clamshell" containers (like berry containers) and take-out containers, rigid plastics like 5-gallon buckets (handles are OK) and plastic lawn toys (remove metal axles; materials MUST fit inside your bin), and plastic dairy and hummus tub lids. 

>> Learn more about the upgrades

>> View and print new recycling guideline posters

Learn About the Boulder County Recycling Center

This educational video offers an in-depth look at single-stream recycling at the Boulder County Recycling Center in Boulder, Colorado. Follow along with the characters to see how recyclable materials are sorted, baled, and sent off to markets to be made into new products.

Guidelines and More for Boulder County

• About Single-Stream Curbside Recycling

• How to recycle or compost in apartment or condo complexes

• Print Single-Stream Recycling Guidelines for Boulder County

• Recycling Drop-off Centers in Boulder County

• Dirty Dozen: The Top 12 Items to Keep Out of Your Recycling bin

• Print a Dirty Dozen Contaminants Handout

• Recycling Unusual Materials: What’s accepted at the CHaRM Facility?

• Recycling Guidelines en Español 

• About Carton Recycling

In your home:

• A-Z Recycling Guide: Where to recycle everything from Appliances to Zippers

• Single-Stream Recycling Guidelines for Boulder County

• How to recycle or compost in your apartment or condo complex

• Dirty Dozen: Top Recycling Contaminants to Keep Out of the Bin

• Curbside recycling and drop-off collection programs in your community

• Recycle electronics, plastic bags and other unusual, hard-to-recycle materials

At your business:

• Eco-Cycle Business Services: Compost collection and training and much more. 

• Green Star Business Program: a network-based program designed to offer sustainability consulting and training services with a focus on resource conservation

• Single-Stream Business Recycling Guidelines for Boulder County

• Dirty Dozen: Top Recycling Contaminants to Keep Out of the Bin

At school:

• Boulder County School Recycling and Environmental Education Programs

• Eco-Cycle’s Green Star Schools®Program: These Boulder County schools are the first in the nation to reduce waste in every aspect of school life.

At your party or event:

• From parties to weddings to community events, we’ll help you recycle, compost, purchase eco-friendly products and go Zero Waste.

• Single-Stream Recycling Guidelines for Boulder County

• Dirty Dozen: Top Recycling Contaminants to Keep Out of the Bin

Recycling Electronics and more Unusual Materials at the Eco-Cycle CHaRM in Boulder (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials)

• Recycle electronics, white block foam, plastic bags, books, fire extinguishers, bicycles, textiles, cooking oil, reusable shoes, yoga mats and more! Find directions, fees and more details.

Recycling Tips & Facts

• Recycling FAQS

• How to Recycle Plastics

• Why Recycle

• How does recycling impact climate change?

• Recycling Facts & Statistics

Maps and locations of facilities in Boulder County

• Recycling and yard waste drop-off centers in Boulder County, CHaRM, ReSource, and the Hazardous Materials Management Facility

How-to videos

• Single-Stream Recycling

• Single-Stream Recycling en Español 

• Recycling in Longmont

• more

Household and Business Hazardous Waste

• Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF) accepts paint, CFLs, automotive fluids, pesticides, cleaners and other toxic substances

Annual Holiday Guides (available in Nov-Dec)

• Holiday Recycling Guide: How to recycle old holiday lights, batteries, electronics, tissue paper, gift bags, white block foam (Styrofoam) and much more

• Tree Recycling in Your Community

• Top 10 Ways to Reduce Waste this Holiday Season

• Holiday Waste by the Numbers

• Meaningful Gifts that are Easy on the Planet 

More

• Eco-Cycle Guide annual magazine: Your Resource for Living an Eco-Life and Building a Sustainable Community in Boulder County

• Learn how to reduce your junk mail, recipes for non-toxic cleaners, eco-parenting and more in our online Eco-Living Guide

COMPOST