Nov. 30, 2024
Did you know many items can be recycled, beyond what our local waste haulers will accept? You probably know that Waste Connections and Waste Management will collect our unsoiled paper and cardboard, washed metal cans, rinsed glass bottles, milk cartons, and many clean plastics for recycling. And through composting - either at home or with Compost Colorado - we can turn our food waste, greasy pizza boxes, leaves, and other organic materials into soil for our gardens and keep methane-generating waste out of landfills. But, with a little extra planning, we can recycle so much more...right here in our community!
Mattresses: An organization called Spring Back Colorado will pick up and recycle old mattresses from Highlands Ranch. They do charge fees, but so do waste and "junk" haulers. By choosing to recycle it instead, your old mattress stays out of a landfill.
Christmas trees: The Highlands Ranch Metro District hosts a free drop-off space each January to collect natural Christmas trees and chip them into mulch for local parks.
Clothing: Worn-out clothing that you wouldn't even donate can be sent to Trashie, an organization that handles up to a million pounds of clothing and textile waste per week!
Batteries: The Batteries Plus store just north of Highlands Ranch on University Blvd. receives most batteries for recycling, free of charge.
Light bulbs: Batteries Plus also accepts most light bulbs for free recycling, including traditional incandescent, fluorescent, CFL, and LED bulbs.
Plastic bags: Retailers like King Soopers and Target still accept plastic bags and plastic film/wrap at their local stores for recycling.
Other plastics: Many companies partner with Terracycle to collect and recycle everything from soft plastic packaging like chip bags to juice pouches, toothpaste tubes, and even cigarette waste. Join one or more of their "brigades" for your favorite products to download postage-paid labels and mail them your collected items for free recycling.
Electronics: Computers (both desktops and laptops) can be dropped off for free recycling year-round at Goodwill, such as on Business Center Drive (near Walmart) and across from the Eastridge Rec Center in Highlands Ranch, as well as at Best Buy in Lone Tree. Best Buy will also take printers and other electronics. Laptops can also be recycled at Target and Batteries Plus, along with cell phones, tablets, MP3 players, and other small electronics. TVs can be recycled for a fee at Best Buy, but if you don't mind driving to Aurora, Douglas County residents can drop off most electronics - including TVs - for free recycling at Techno Rescue at 3251 Lewiston Street. And, for the last few years, the Highlands Ranch Rotary Club has hosted a springtime event to recycle electronics and paint, but the 2025 event has not yet been announced.
Appliances: Broken appliances can be hauled away by Best Buy or other local appliance retailers for a recycling fee.
Ink cartridges: Many stores that sell replacement ink and toner cartridges for home printers will accept used/empty cartridges for recycling, such as OfficeMax near the Highlands Ranch Town Center.
Paint: Old paint in original paint cans can be dropped off year-round at Sherwin-Williams stores like the one on Park Meadows Drive for free recycling via PaintCare.
Concrete/Asphalt: If you're replacing your driveway or basement, you can ask your contractor to recycle the old concrete with Oxford Recycling in Englewood or Allied Recycled Aggregates in Commerce City. These services aren't free, but neither is dumping concrete in a landfill (see this informative article from Home Depot).
Kitchen cabinets: If you're remodeling your kitchen but your old cabinets are in fairly good condition, Habitat for Humanity will pick them up for free in our area. They sell them through their ReStore locations to fund non-profit activities.
Given all these options, what can't we recycle??? Sadly, there don't seem to be any local options for recycling styrofoam, multi-layer packaging like coffee bags or Goldfish cracker boxes, unlabeled plastics, anything contaminated with human or animal waste like disposable diapers or cat litter, hardened glass canning jars, broken items like bikes or toys, used cooking oil (unless you run a restaurant, in which case contact Aspen Oil), old kitchen appliances like toasters and blenders, hardcover books, old ceramics, and most other unwanted items. Hopefully, we will create a more circular economy by recycling and reusing more in the future!
