CHaRM: Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials
Click here for Resources for those impacted by the Marshall Fire
IMPORTANT CORONAVIRUS NOTICE:
Our helpline is open Monday–Friday from 9 am–5 pm. If you have Zero Waste questions, call 303-444-6634 or email recycle@ecocycle.org.
Our administrative offices remain closed to the public.
The Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) is OPEN Mon-Sat, 9 am–5 pm
Eco-Cycle’s CHaRM is currently implementing COVID-19 protocols to ensure public safety. All visitors to the CHaRM will be required to:
- Please wear a mask or face covering at all times while on-site unless you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (and our staff will do the same). Vaccinated individuals are required to wear their mask or face-covering while indoors.
- Observe 6-foot distancing areas marked off around drop-off bins.
Unload your own vehicles (please bring help if needed, as our staff has been directed to maintain a 6-foot distance).
Location
6400 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, co-located with Resource Central
CHaRM hours are Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; CHaRM is closed on Sundays)
CHaRM is an outdoor facility. In the event of extreme weather, call us at (303) 444-6634 before you visit to find out if the CHaRM is open. We care about your safety and our employees!
Accepted payment methods
Credit cards only (no Diner's Club cards)
There is a $3 facility fee for every vehicle entering the CHaRM to recycle hard-to-recycle materials. >> View all CHaRM Guidelines and Fees
>> Need hard-to-recycle collection pick-up at your business? Check out our CHaRM on the Road commercial hauling service
Before you recycle that item... try to fix it at an upcoming U-Fix-It Clinic!
MAP OF CHaRM AND BOULDER'S
"RECYCLE ROW"
What is the CHaRM?
CHaRM opened in 2001 and was the first facility of its kind in the nation. It collects unusual materials like electronics and plastic bags for recycling and reuse.
The CHaRM is funded in part by city of Boulder trash tax dollars.
CHaRM on the Road services for Businesses
Why is there a $3 facility fee?
Our Commitment: Recycling Electronics Responsibly
What happens to CHaRM materials?
CHaRM Collection Events in Other Communities
CHaRM Guidelines and Fees
CHaRM is undergoing a sea-change for its 20th anniversary! While we’ll continue to provide the same hard-to-recycle services you know and love, CHaRM and next-door neighbor Resource Central are making some improvements to the facilities, and construction is underway through April 2022. CHaRM should remain open for regular business hours during this time, but we will be sure to announce any unexpected closures here, as usual. In addition, we’ll be changing the fee structure to reflect the rising costs of doing business.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FEE STRUCTURE >>
Note that the facility fee of $3 will apply to all material drop-offs aside from scrap metal, and several item fees will change as well to better meet the needs of the operation. Additionally, CHaRM is discontinuing the facility fee waiver for electric vehicles starting June 1, and the Frequent CHaRMer program is actively being phased out in favor of a new loyalty program currently in development.
If you have any questions about the upcoming changes, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email: charm@ecocycle.org.
PLEASE NOTE: Eco-Cycle charges a $3 fee for every vehicle coming to the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) to recycle materials. The fee is in addition to the recycling fees that apply to specific materials like electronics, bike tires, and porcelain.
We accept credit cards, cash or check.
Electronics, etc.
Hard-to-Recycle Plastics
> #6 White Block Foam Packaging
Appliances
> Metal Appliances (must be at least 50% metal)
Miscellaneous
> Plate Glass TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE
> Porcelain Toilets, Sinks & Urinals
> Concrete
> Paper Shredding Service & Shredded Paper
> Textiles
Compost drop-off
Free of charge:
Electronics
ELECTRONICS:
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Computer towers (CPUs), laptops
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CRT (not flatscreen) TVs, rear-projection TVs, Monitors
NOTE: Broken CRT glass is classified by the EPA as hazardous waste, and requires extra handling and documentation. -
Other electronics, including flatscreen TVs, audio equipment, mobile phones, fax machines or any other item with a battery or cord
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Optional Hard-drive Shredding service (please request). Bulk hard-drive shredding IS available. Please call 303-444-6634 for more information.

Printer Cartridges
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Ink Jet and Laser Jet
TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE: Plate Glass Windows and Doors
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Includes windows, patio doors, shower doors, picture frame glass, glass tabletops, glass block, tempered glass, insulated glass
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Cracked and broken panes are OK
Window without jamb
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Window with jamb
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Patio door without jamb
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Patio door with jamb
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NO mirrors, Pyrex (food containers, microwave dishes, measuring cups), canning jars, or bottles and jars.
Please note: Resource Central, which is co-located at 6400 Arapahoe Rd. with CHaRM, accepts some windows for reuse. Check their website for donation guidelines.
Plastics
Plastic Bags & Bubble Wrap
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Includes plastic shopping and newspaper bags, ziplock bags, dry cleaner bags and bubble wrap
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MUST be clean, dry, and empty of all food, receipts, etc. with tape and stickers removed
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NO plastic food wrap or packing peanuts
Foam Packing Sheets
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Accepted with plastic bags in plastic bag bin
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Must be clean and dry
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NO packing peanuts, other foam
#6 White Block Foam
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#6 White Block Foam
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NO shipping labels on foam, packing peanuts, "Styrofoam" (polystyrene) cups, “to-go” boxes, meat trays or any other food-grade styrofoam, moisture or tape
Small Plastic Appliances
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Electric and battery-powered appliances
NO vacuum bags, glass (coffee pots, blender carafes, etc.), or food/liquid residue.
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Have appliances that are mostly metal? See scrap metal listing.
Please note that we will weigh your materials on-site and give you a total fee based on weight at that time.
Big Durable #2 Plastics
• Large plastics such as Big Wheels® and plastic play structures, plastic lawn furniture, plastic watering cans, laundry baskets, clean plastic buckets (no residue), crates, rigid backyard kiddie pools and plastic trash containers.
• Must be the size of a five-gallon bucket or larger but must also be less than 3 feet by 3 feet (can be cut to meet these dimensions).
• In some cases, these plastics may not be marked with a #2, so look for them to be opaque with a matte finish and hollow inside. They are made with a mold, so will likely have a seam where two halves were joined.
• Non-plastic parts must be removed, including straps, padding and fabric.
• NO flower pots without a #2, inflatable pools or other inflatable plastics, water beds, chew toys, CD jewel cases, small toys such as action figures, etc.
• NO insulated plastic coolers
Mattresses and Box Springs
• Mattress (standard spring or futon mattress, any size)
• Box spring (any size)
• 100% foam mattress toppers, any size
• Mechanical bed
• NOTE: We can no longer accept bed bug-infested mattresses at the CHaRM
• NO mattresses or box springs with mold
Bicycles & Bike Parts
• Any Condition
• Includes integral parts such as seats, pedals, handlebars, wheels, etc. and metal accessories such as baskets and Pannier racks
• NO other accessories or sporting goods
Bicycle Tires & Tubes
• Puncture-resistant or slime tubes should be kept separately
• NO automotive or other tires
Miscellaneous
Books & Manuals
• Computer and Office Manuals
• Hard-Bound Books and Paperbacks
*Call for quantities one pallet and larger
Learn about our Book Reuse Project

Cooking Oil
• Residential quantities only (maximum 10 gallons); for larger quantities see our A-Z Recycling Guide listing for Cooking Oil
• Includes canola, corn, vegetable, olive, and sesame oils
• NO motor oil or any oil used for purposes other than cooking.
Fire Extinguishers
Paper Shredding Service
• Paper materials only
Eco-Cycle provides a locked bin for residents and businesses to drop off documents for shredding at the CHaRM. A mobile shredding company comes every other Friday to shred the papers. We do not offer certificates of destruction. Call 303-444-6634 for more information or visit www.ecocycle.org/charm.
Small quantities of paper that is already shredded is also accepted as compost at the CHaRM. The facility fee will apply.
Toilets, Sinks, Urinals and other Ceramics
• NO glass, rebar, tile backing material, or other non-ceramics.
Concrete
• Clean concrete -- must be free of aggregate, metal, rocks and dirt -- accepted in small quantities: less than small pickup truck bed size
• NOTE: Concrete is NOT accepted at local hard-to-recycle events.
Yoga Mats
• Plastic foam, rubber foam and jute mats
• NO badly soiled or smelly mats
• NO Tatami or other grass mats
Textiles
Clothing, Towels, Sheets, Fabrics, Paired Reusable Shoes
Scrap Metal, Single-Stream Recycling & Compost
Scrap Metal
Items at least 50% metal, including appliances
• Items without Freon
• Items WITH Freon (Items with Freon include refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and freezers)
• Cables and wire
IF YOU HAVE EMPTY TANKS AND CYLINDERS: CHaRM accepts helium tanks. Bring them to the CHaRM but do NOT place them in the scrap metal bin. Please let the person at the CHaRM window know what you have and they will direct you to a special collection area at CHaRM.
NO O2, CO2, or Acetylene tanks. For O2, CO2, and Acetylene tanks, please contact local welding supply stores.
NO oil or fuel in motors
NO batteries
NO TANKS WITH ANY LIQUID OR GAS. Please remove all gas caps from mowers or other related equipment.
NO PROPANE CANISTERS OF ANY KIND. See our A-Z Recycling Guide listing for Propane canisters for more information.
Electronics are not scrap metal but can be recycled at the CHaRM for a fee.
Single-Stream Recycling
Single-stream recycling is accepted at the CHaRM. Learn more about what's accepted in single-stream recycling.
Compost
CHaRM accepts food scraps, soiled paper and Zero Waste event supplies. Click here for full guidelines.
Why is there a $3 facility fee?
WAYS TO SAVE on the facility fee at the CHaRM:
- Carpool: Pool your materials together with your neighbors’ and friends’, so you only have to pay one facility fee.
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Zero Emission Drop-off: Bicyclists with CHaRM materials are not charged a facility fee. (Fees to recycle specific materials, such as electronics, bike tires and porcelain, will still apply.)