Organics

A person holding a pot full of waste dumping it into a bin.

When organic waste like yard debris and food scraps degrades in landfills, it creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas emission contributing to climate change. Lakewood residents can mitigate their climate impact by reducing their food waste and composting yard debris. Tactics on food waste reduction can be found on the Food Recovery page. This page focuses on composting.

 

Curbside Organics Collection

  • Residents and businesses can subscribe to curbside organics collection with Scraps or Compost Colorado. Businesses can also use Wompost, Denali, WM or Republic.
  • All providers offer weekly pick up of food scraps, yard waste, and CMA approved certified compostable products for a monthly fee.
  • Review each haulers website for acceptable materials and download Lakewood's Waste Sorting Guide(PDF, 14MB) to learn what is generally compostable versus what belongs in your recycling or trash bin. 

Food Scrap Drop off Programs

For a lower monthly fee than curbside collection, residents can elect to participate in a food scrap drop off program. There are currently three in Lakewood managed by three different providers. In certain instances, business and institutions who offer to host these drop off bins can receive free or discounted organics collection. 

  • Scraps drop off – Joy's Kitchen, 7700 West Woodard Drive, Lakewood. Bins are inside the locked shed in the parking lot shared by Joy’s Kitchen and the neighboring church.  Sign up here.
  • Compost Colorado drop off - Karma House, 608 Garrison St. Suite E. Bins are located in the backside of the building by the garage. Sign up here.
  • Wompost drop off Lakewood United Church of Christ, 100 Carr St #1309, Lakewood, CO 80226 in the front parking lot. Sign up here. 

At this time, food scrap drop off customers are not allowed to put yard waste in communal drop off bins but each service provider has another means for yard waste collection. 

Backyard Composting

For those with access to a yard or green space, an easy, no-cost way to reduce organic waste is backyard composting! The finished compost can be applied to your garden or lawn to help retain the health of your soil. Free compost starter workshops are offered by Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) and Sprout City Farms multiple times throughout the year: 

Yard Waste

Lakewood residents are encouraged to keep yard waste out of their trash bins. The majority of yard waste can be recycled in your own backyard with little effort and for free. The tactics outlined below help increase the health of your soil and lawn by retaining and recirculating organic nutrients rather than sending them to a landfill.  

Grasscycling – removing the collection bag from your mower and leaving grass clippings to biodegrade on your lawn which act as a natural fertilizer and return nutrients to the soil. Learn how to grasscycle. 

Mulching – electric woodchippers can handle most sticks and branches up to 1.5” diameter. They are lightweight, portable, easy to use and make mulch for your garden which can help with ground cooling. Wood chippers can be rented for a small fee from Home Depot and Lowes.  

Leave the leaves – letting leaves biodegrade where they lie, in piles, or as mulch helps return nutrients to the soil and provide habitats, warmth, and shelter for leaf litter creatures. Learn more about leaving the leaves. If this practice isn’t for you, Lakewood also offers a seasonal leaf collection week: 

     Lakewood Greenhouse - Annual Leaf Collection  
     9556 W. Yale Ave., Lakewood, CO 80227 
     Accepted Materials: leaves only 
     See webpage for dates and times.  

Woody Debris

What about larger limbs, branches, and stumps which cannot be backyard composted? Lakewood residents have a few options:  

  1. Lakewood’s Forestry Department will at times offer ad-hoc event-based collections after major storms. These are posted to Lakewood’s website as they occur.
  2. If limbs or branches are result of a contracted arborist or landscaping project, ask the contractor to remove the debris and compost it or chip it for you to use as mulch.
  3. Third, residents can take truckloads of woody debris to one of several drop off locations outlined below where the materials will be composted onsite or taken to a nearby facility for composting: 

     A1 Organics - Year Round Woody Debris Drop Off 
     Locations: Eaton, Englewood, Keenesburg, Commerce City 
     Contact A1 Organics for operating hours (1-800-776-1644).  
     Fees apply. 

     Jefferson County SLASH Program - Seasonal Woody Debris Drop Offs 
     Rotating Locations: Arvada, Pine, Evergreen, and Golden 
     See JeffCo page for rotating location and operating hours details 
     Accepted Materials: Limbs, branches, logs up to 8' long and 6” diameter, pinecones, bark, and woody debris. 
     Fees apply. 

Back to top