Denver, Colorado resident guide
Denver trash, recycling, compost & large item schedule
Find Denver's every nine week large item date, five item and 10 bag limits, weekly cart schedule, placement rules, accepted material, and exact 2026 holiday delays.
Official source links checked on September 1, 2026.
Regular household service
Trash and recycling service
Start here for the recurring household collections residents use most often.
Denver collects trash weekly. Use the address calendar for the weekday and have the cart ready by 6 a.m.
Recycling is collected every two weeks and compost is collected weekly. The same address calendar identifies both dates.
Need it gone before the city service?
Get a LoadUp quote when the local date is too far away or an item is excluded.
Start here
How Denver service works
Enter the service address in Denver's official calendar or use the Trash and Recycling app. No separate appointment is needed, but material belongs outside only for the occurrence marked Large Item Pickup.
Denver 2026 resident collection guide
Find the every nine week large item date
Denver collects approved large household items on the regular route weekday every nine weeks. The address calendar marks the correct occurrence and separates it from the every two week recycling cycle.
Look for Large Item Pickup in the official address calendar.
Only qualifying material counts toward the published allowance.
Use bags no larger than 32 gallons and no heavier than 50 pounds.
Keep every item visible and two feet from obstacles.
Denver large item schedule
Large items are collected every nine weeks
Denver places the large item route on the same weekday as regular trash and recycling. The address calendar or Trash and Recycling app shows which occurrence includes large items.
The exact date appears in the address calendar as Large Item Pickup.
Furniture and other qualifying oversized objects count toward the limit.
Use bags no larger than 32 gallons and no heavier than 50 pounds.
Denver does not return for material placed out after the truck passes.
Denver placement and item rules
Keep every item visible and two feet from obstacles
Use the normal collection location and keep large items separate from carts, vehicles, poles, and other obstructions. Material placed outside the scheduled large item date can be treated as illegal dumping.
Separate the pile from carts, cars, poles, fences, and other obstacles.
Both mattresses and box springs need protective wrapping.
Bundle qualifying branches within both length and diameter limits.
Cardboard boxes and personal containers are not accepted as extra trash containers.
Denver carts and 2026 holidays
Trash and compost are weekly; recycling is every two weeks
Denver's official calendar combines trash, recycling, compost, and large item dates. Six observed holidays delay collections on and after the holiday for the rest of that week.
Use the address result for the weekday and collection location.
Qualifying food and yard material belongs in the compost cart.
The app identifies the correct week for the property.
New Year, Memorial Day, July 3, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas delay routes.
Item guidance
Choose the correct collection path
Accepted examples
Furniture, large toys, bicycles without motors, rugs, exercise equipment, wrapped mattresses and box springs, and properly bundled branches can qualify during the scheduled large item collection.
Use another disposal option
Electronics, appliances, construction material, automotive waste, unbundled branches, stumps, dirt, sod, hazardous material, paint, batteries, tires, commercial waste, and loose trash do not qualify.
City rules at a glance
Local limits before placement
Each large item collection accepts up to five qualifying large items and 10 extra bags. Bags may be no larger than 32 gallons and no heavier than 50 pounds.
Have material out by 6 a.m. in the normal collection location. Keep every item visible and at least two feet from carts, vehicles, poles, fences, and other obstacles.
Local detail that matters
What makes Denver service different
A Denver recycling week is not automatically a large item week. Use the calendar entry labeled Large Item Pickup because the large item cycle repeats every nine weeks while recycling repeats every two weeks.
Item guidance
What may go in the bulk item pile
Accepted examples
Furniture, large toys, bicycles without motors, rugs, exercise equipment, wrapped mattresses and box springs, and bundled branches up to four feet long and four inches in diameter can qualify.
Not accepted
Electronics, appliances, construction material, automotive waste, unbundled branches, stumps, dirt, sod, hazardous material, paint, batteries, tires, commercial waste, and loose trash do not qualify.
Holiday collectionDenver published exact 2026 holiday route changes2026 schedule confirmed
Six observed holidays delay collection on and after the holiday by one day for the remainder of that week. Six working holidays keep the regular route.
Large items follow the same calendar
When the address calendar shows Large Item Pickup during an affected week, use the delayed date shown for that property.
Weather can create another change
The address calendar and Trash and Recycling app publish current service alerts when severe weather affects collection.
One day delay on and after the holiday
The holiday route and every later route that week move one day later.
- New Year’s Day. Thursday, January 1
- Memorial Day. Monday, May 25
- Independence Day observed. Friday, July 3
- Labor Day. Monday, September 7
- Thanksgiving Day. Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day. Friday, December 25
Regular collection schedule
Set carts and approved large items out on the normal route date.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Monday, January 19
- Presidents Day. Monday, February 16
- Si Se Puede Day. Monday, March 30
- Juneteenth. Friday, June 19
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day. Wednesday, November 11
Common questions
Denver collection FAQ
How often does Denver collect large items?
Every nine weeks. The address calendar and mobile app identify the exact occurrence for the property.
How many large items can Denver collect?
Up to five qualifying large items plus 10 prepared extra trash bags.
Does Denver collect appliances with large items?
No. Appliances, electronics, hazardous waste, paint, and several other materials use separate City programs.
Sources used for this guide
Official supporting information
TrashDayFinder used these public sources to prepare the resident guidance above. They were checked on September 1, 2026 and are provided here as evidence.
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