Yard Waste and Pumpkin Recycling Events

yard debris in a wheel barrow, pumpkins in a pumpkin patch, a pile of sticks and a pile of branches

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 this fall! Details and registration below.  

Event Details

  • When: Fri. Nov. 6 and Sat. Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. both days
  • Where: The Bridge Church at Bear Creek, 3101 S. Kipling St. Lakewood, CO 
  • Who can come: Lakewood residents only. 
  • How much can you bring: Limit one truck load or trailer per visitor.   
  • How to transport yard waste: Loose on a tarp, in trash cans/totes, in paper bags (plastic bags acceped but less preferred), or bundled with hemp or cotton twine (do not use tape or polyester string).    
  • Why register? Registering for the event advance to help us plan for traffic, waste container and staffing needs, and responsibly steward city funding. 

Register

Accepted Materials

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

Not Accepted

  • Soil, Sod, Rocks, Landscaping Plastic
  • Bags of Leaves: Incidental leaves are okay or a bag here and there if you are bringing other yard waste too, but THIS IS NOT A LEAF DROP. Use Lakewood's Leaf Drop the following week if you have full bags of leaves. Better still, leaving the leaves on your lawn and garden cycles nutrients and moisture back into the soil and provides critical protection for insect life over winter. 
  • Stumps & Logs: Any wood larger than 4' long and 3" in diameter cannot be accepted. Large woody debris can be taken to the JeffCo's Tincup Ridge SLASH Site through Oct 25. Check out Lakewood's voucher program for a free or reduced cost SLASH visit.

FAQs

  1. Is there a fee to drop-off? No, this event series is sponsored by the City of Lakewood.
  2. Should I arrive early? No, when everyone has the same idea to arrive early it creates dangerous traffic backlogs. Arrive anytime from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  3. Should I store up all my woody debris for this event? Residents with very large volumes of only woody debris are encouraged to utilize Lakewood's voucher program for a free or reduced cost visit to JeffCo's Tincup Ridge SLASH site from May 15 - Oct 25. We will still service any visitors with large loads of only woody debris but please consider utilizing our dedicated voucher program if it works in your situation so we can better service everyone at our short event in November.
  4. 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.
  5. Who can I contact if I have further questions? If your question is not already answered in these materials, email ZeroWaste@LakewoodCo.gov.