Composting Resources

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.

 

Food Scrap Drop off Programs

For a lower monthly fee than curbside collection, residents can participate in Lakewood's food scrap drop off program in partnership with Compost Colorado. There are currently nine community drop offs in Lakewood. Learn more and join the program.  In certain instances, business who offer to host these drop off bins can receive free or discounted organics collection. At this time, food scrap drop off customers are not allowed to put yard waste in communal drop off bins.

Curbside Organics Collection

  • Residents and businesses can subscribe to curbside organics collection with Compost Colorado. Businesses can also use Scraps, 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. 

Grasscycling, Leaving the Leaves and Mulching

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. 

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

If the more preferable practices of leaving the leaves and letting your gardens lie over winter isn't for you this year, Lakewood offers the following options:

Curbside Yard Waste Collection
 Compost Colorado subscribers can request yard waste bags through their portal. 
Both food scrap drop-off and curbside members are eligible.
Minimum # of bags per pick up and fees apply.
If you don't use Compost Colorado, then check with your existing hauler on curbside options.

Fall Yard Waste Recycling Event:
 The Bridge Church at Bear Creek
3101 S Kipling St, Lakewood, CO 80227
Accepted Materials: yard waste, garden clean up waste, pumpkins (large woody debris continue reading to next section) 
Details and registration coming soon.

Fall Leaf Drop:
 Lakewood Greenhouse
9556 W. Yale Ave., Lakewood, CO 80227 
Accepted Materials: leaves only
Two week period from mid to late November.
See LakewoodCo.gov/LeafRecycling 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 and Jeffco's SLASH program 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: 

Jefferson County SLASH Program - Seasonal Woody Debris Drop Offs 
Rotating Locations: Golden, Arvada, Pine, Evergreen
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 but Lakewood is subsidizing the cost for Lakewood residents. Request your voucher at LakewoodCO.gov/Woody.

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.

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