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DENVER – Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) and Office of Climate Action, Resiliency and Sustainability (CASR) would like to share some tips with residents on how to reduce, reuse and recycle this fall and holiday season.

 

 

This fall, give your leaves and pumpkins a second life by dropping them off at a DOTI Leafdrop location! Our composter, A1 Organics, will turn them into compost made available to Denver residents at a discounted price at participating Ace Hardware locations this spring.

 

Three weekday Leafdrop sites are now open! Weekend sites open Nov 4. See the full Leafdrop schedule at www.denvergov.org/Leafdrop 

 

Residents utilizing Leafdrop sites are encouraged to bag their leaves in brown paper bags instead of in plastic and can download a coupon to receive a free five-pack of paper leave bags at participating Ace Hardware stores. Leaves dropped off in plastic bags must be emptied on site.

 

A quick reminder that it’s unlawful to rake your leaves into the street, so please collect and compost your leaves instead!

 

 

As you’re planning your get-togethers in the coming weeks, consider the environment! Household waste in the U.S. increases more than 23% during the holiday season – but we can change that with a little extra care and advance planning.  Here are some tips to get you started as Halloween and holiday parties approach.

 

Create and stick to shopping lists.

Check your refrigerator and pantry for ingredients first to reduce your shopping needs.
Try not to over prepare food but prepare “just enough.”

Use this handy “Guestimator” tool on CASR’s website to avoid buying too much. Encourage friends and family to take leftovers home.
Plan an "eat the leftovers" night as a great way to use holiday meal ingredients and leftovers.
Freeze extra food and leftovers such as side dishes or meat.
Consider donating unopened, non-perishable food items to a local charity. (Always contact food rescue organizations in advance of a drop-off.)

Visit CASR’s Holiday Waste Reduction webpage for more great tips and information.

 

 

Don’t throw out those broken, burned-out or impossibly tangled holiday lights you stored away with last year’s holiday decorations. Recycle them instead, for free, through Denver’s holiday lights recycling program!

 

Strings of incandescent, LED and "icicle" lights.
Attached bulbs okay.
 

Not accepted for drop-off:
Bubble (liquid-filled) or neon lights.
Please remove light strings from packaging material.
 
Holiday lights recycling locations
 
Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-off

Located near the intersection of S. Quebec St. and E. Cherry Creek South Drive. Enter going south on Cherry Creek S. Drive (follow the signs).
Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and city holidays
 

Located at 953 Decatur St. Denver, CO 80204
Drop off Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Closed on Sundays
Blue Star will be closed December 24 - January 1; the drop site will reopen Tuesday, January 2.
 

 

Return the joy your tree brings you over the holiday season by giving it a new lease on life. Recycle your holiday tree by dropping it off at one of our collection sites! We’ll turn it into mulch made available to residents in the spring!   

 

How to Recycle your Holiday Tree

 

Step 1: Remove all decorations, lights, and the tree stand from your tree. Only natural, real trees will be accepted.  No artificial or flocked trees.

Step 2. Bring your tree to one of our drop-off locations listed below.

 

 

Cherry Creek Transfer Station – 7301 E. Jewell Ave. (enter on E. Jewell Ave.)
Havana Nursery – 10450 Smith Rd. (enter on Smith Road)
Central Platte Campus – 1271 W. Bayaud Ave. (next to the Denver Animal Shelter)
*Note these locations will be closed on Monday, January 15, 2024, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

 

 

Sloan’s Lake Northwest Parking Lot  – W. Byron Pl. and Yates St.
Bruce Randolph – E. 40th Ave. and Steele St.
Fred Thomas Park – 2400 Quebec St.
Evie Dennis School Campus – 4800 Telluride St.
Central Platte Campus – 1271 W. Bayaud Ave.
Carson Elementary - 5420 E 1st Ave.
Kennedy High School – Newland St. and Brown Pl.
Slavens Elementary – 3000 S Clayton St.
Congress Park – 850 N Josephine St.

 

Step 3. Pick up free mulch made from your tree at the annual Mulch Giveaway in May.

 

If you don’t want to recycle your holiday tree (although we highly encourage it), we’ll collect it on your large item pickup day. Trees left out for large item pickup will not be turned into mulch.