Free Yard Waste Recycling Events

Next date: Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 09:00 AM to 01:00 PM

Free Yard Waste Recycling Events

To respond to resident demand for increased opportunities to divert organic waste from the landfill, the City of Lakewood is excited to host a series of FREE Yard Waste Recycling Events in every ward this fall! Details and registration below. 

When:

Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.- Oct. 11 through Nov. 8

Where:

• 10/11 - The Bridge Church at Bear Creek, 3101 S. Kipling St. 
• 10/18 - Green Mountain Presbyterian Church, 12900 W. Alameda Parkway     
• 10/25 - Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, 11500 W. 20th Avenue 
• 11/01 - Ray Ross Park, 680 S. Harlan Street   
• 11/08 - Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, 1600 Pierce Street 

Drop-off details

• Lakewood residents only. 
• Limit one truck load or trailer per visitor.   
• Material can be loose, bagged, or bundled with twine.   
• Register and arrive anytime from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Please do not arrive earlier than event start time. 

Register

Registering in advance helps us plan for traffic, waste volume, and staffing needs ensuring every Lakewood neighbor has a smooth drop-off experience. You will receive an email reminder two days before the event.  

Accepted Materials

• Plant Matter: weeds, flowers, plants, vines, grass clippings, etc. 
• Woody Debris: twigs, sticks, brush, bark, pine needles, pine cones, mulch 
• Limbs/Branches: up to 4' long and 3" in diameter 
• Pumpkins: no wax, paint, or other decoration 

Not accepted

• Entire Bags of Leaves (Incidental leaves are okay): Leaving the leaves on your lawn and garden cycles nutrients back into the soil and provides critical protection for insect life over winter. If you have an excess of leaves, you can take them to the City of Lakewood Leaf Drop from Nov. 15 - Nov. 24, 2025.  
• Stumps: Any wood larger than 4' long and 3" in diameter will not be accepted. Large woody debris can be taken to the JeffCo's Tin Cup Ridge SLASH Site through Oct 26.  
• Trash & Plastic   
• Dirt & Rocks  
• Food Scraps  

FAQs

1. Is there a fee to drop-off? No, this event series is sponsored by the City of Lakewood; however, participating nonprofit groups may collect cash donations for their volunteer efforts on-site. 
2. Why do I need to register? Registering in advance helps staff plan for traffic, waste volume, volunteer needs, and responsibly steward city funding. It ensures we have the appropriate number of waste containers on-site and do not have to turn visitors away.  
3. Should I arrive early? No, when everyone has the same idea to arrive early it creates dangerous traffic backlogs and sets organizers up for a stressful event. Arrive anytime from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  
4. Do I need to go to the drop-off event hosted in my ward? No, any Lakewood resident may come to any yard waste drop-off event even if it is not hosted in their ward. 
5. Where are these materials going? The City is partnering with a local hauler, SCRAPS, who will haul the organics to their nearby processing facility in Arvada where it will be turned into a nutrient rich soil amendment called compost. Anyone may purchase compost back from SCRAPS during their annual compost sale. 
6. Who can I contact if I have further questions? If your question is not already answered in these materials, use the contact link on the registration page.  

When

Location

One event in each ward in Lakewood. See above for dates and locations.