Universal Recycling Ordinance Information
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Universal Recycling Ordinance Information
On July 11, 2023 Longmont’s City Council passed the Universal Recycling Ordinance (URO) as an effort to support the City’s goal of diverting 75% of our waste from landfill by 2030 and 95% by 2050. The Ordinance focuses on a phased implementation for recycling and organics collection services for commercial and multifamily properties. The URO's first phase of implementation began on January 1, 2024, requiring recycling collection for commercial businesses and multifamily properties that are not already subscribed to recycling collection services. The requirements include the following timeline:
Jan. 1, 2024: Recycling services required for commercial properties over 10,000 square feet and multifamily properties with more than 75 units
June 1, 2024: Recycling services required for all commercial and multifamily properties
Jan. 1, 2025*: Organics collection required for food wholesalers, distributers, manufacturers, and grocery stores
June 1, 2025*: Organics collection required for other select business types
Jan. 1, 2029*: Composting required for landscaping companies
*This timeline may be adjusted as we continue to monitor changes to composting policies
Our intention is to work alongside the commercial and multifamily sector to implement the URO. We know that some businesses will need additional guidance and time. In addition to offering financial assistance and other support for compliance, commercial or multifamily properties that meet any of the following conditions may qualify for an exemption.
Jan. 1, 2024: The Statewide Plastic Bag and Styrofoam Bans are now in full implementation. This Statewide ban is separate from this Ordinance, visit the City’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (PPRA) Information webpage for more information.
Requirements include subscribing to recycling services, provide diversion signs in at least English and Spanish with iconography next to containers, and providing adequate education to employees, tenants, and/or facility managers to ensure proper sorting and minimize contamination.
- Jan. 1, 2024: Recycling services required for commercial properties over 10,000 square feet and multifamily properties with more than 75 units
- June 1, 2024: Recycling services required for all commercial and multifamily properties
Requirements include subscribing to organics materials collection services, provide diversion signs in at least English and Spanish with iconography next to containers, and providing adequate education to employees, tenants, and/or facility managers to ensure proper sorting and minimize contamination.
- Jan. 1, 2025*: Organics collections required for food wholesalers, distributers, manufacturers, and grocery stores
- June 1, 2025*: Organics collection required for other select business types
- Restaurants, Food Trucks, Food shelves and food banks, Caterers
- Hotels, Nursing and residential care facilities, Hospitals
- Public/rental commissaries or shared use commercial kitchens
- Breweries and distilleries
- Office buildings and colleges with dining services
- Event Centers, golf courses and country clubs
- And other businesses identified by the City
- Jan. 1, 2029*: Yard waste collection required for landscaping companies
*This timeline may be adjusted as we continue to monitor changes to composting policies from A1 Organics
How To Comply
If you are not already subscribed to recycling collection services, you will need to subscribe and meet the requirements by the appointed date.
URO Financial Assistance
The City’s intention is to work alongside the commercial business and multifamily sectors to implement the Universal Recycling Ordinance and is committed to helping businesses get started complying with the URO.
URO Exemptions
Applicants can request an exemption by submitting the exemption request form online or in person.
Need Help Complying?
How to Comply with the URO
For a step-by-step URO guide on where to start, visit the How to Comply webpage.
Financial Resources
Financial Assistance is available to help commercial business and multifamily property owners comply with the required URO recycling collection services and bin purchasing. Financial support to help through CAReS rebates is also available to multifamily tenants that are CAReS participants. For more information on available financial assistance and how to apply, visit the URO Financial Assistance webpage.
Signage and Resources
Longmont URO Signs
Additional Signage
- For additional signage please contact PACE (Partners for a Clean Environment)
Eco-Cycle Guides and Resource Library
Process
Requesting an Exemption
- The applicant can request an exemption by submitting the exemption request form online or in person (contact sustainability@longmontcolorado.gov or 301-651-8416 if you’d like to submit in person). The exemption request form may be submitted prior to when the requirements of the Ordinance go into effect.
- Exemption requests must provide qualification proof on survey.
- Designated staff will review the request for exemption and may request additional information as well as visit the property to verify the conditions of request.
- The staff shall issue a written decision on the application within ten working days and, if disapproved, shall state the reasons in writing.
If approved:
- If an exemption is approved in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the applicant shall not be required to subscribe to collection services for the two (2) year period following approval of the exemption.
- If the constraints on which the exemption was based still exist at the end of the exemption period, the applicant may submit a request for continued exemption, providing sufficient details regarding current conditions to enable the director to find good cause to grant the request.
If not approved:
- Disapproval of an application for exemption may be appealed by filing a written appeal with the city clerk within ten days of the date of service of the director’s decision setting forth the reasons why the appeal should be granted. Such appeal shall be conducted pursuant to chapter 2.98.
- If the exemption is denied, the applicant must comply with the requirements of the Ordinance.
- If the applicant is not working toward compliance within 30 days after denial of the request for exemption, they will be subject to the Civil Penalty Process.
Qualifying Exemptions
- De Minimis Volume: the subscriber generates less than 96 gallons of trash per week total
- Self-Haul: the subscriber self-hauls recyclable materials to a location or facility permitted by the State of Colorado to accept such material (but not to a landfill)
- Applicants must provide information of the destination facility name and location (e.g. a receipt with date and amount of waste)
- The customer must still meet all other requirements stated in the Ordinance including signage and adequate training to employees and facility managers
- Sharing: the subscriber shares a recycling container(s) through a communal system for the collection of waste as defined in section 14.12.010.
- Economic Hardship (Commercial Properties Only): Losses from the prior fiscal year were >10% of gross sales
- The applicant must submit their most recent profit and loss statements from the prior fiscal year.
- Space constraints: the location does not have space for a recycling or if only available location for recycling container is not safely serviceable by hauler.
- The applicant must explore all possible options to still comply with the Ordinance, such as reducing the size of trash container and exploring options to adjust enclosure size
- The applicant must provide a description and photograph of the area where the space constraints exist and document efforts from item (i)
- Innovation: a minimum of 50% of the total waste stream is diverted from landfill through reuse or repurposing
- The applicant has identified a method to reduce trash service through reuse or repurposing of materials in an environmentally and socially responsible manner
- Applicant must provide a description of the innovation and proof of sufficient waste diversion as a result of the innovation.
- Food Donation (Organics Only): the subscriber donates food scraps for human or feed animal consumption, in accordance with applicable state and local health and safety regulations.
- Food scraps shall mean any animal- or vegetable-based foodstuffs, including food scraps resulting from the preparation, cooking, and serving of food, unsaleable or outdated food, and other compostable items such as organic waste from breweries and distilleries
- On-Site Composting (Organics Only): the applicant composts all organic waste on-site in a manner that complies with all applicable laws, codes and ordinances.
Notice of Violation
- If a commercial or multifamily owner is notified of a violation, they will have 30 days to either request an exemption or comply with the requirements.
- If the owner is not working toward compliance within 30 days of the notice of violation, they will be subject to the Civil Penalty Process.
For more information, to subscribe for email updates, or questions about the Universal Recycling Ordinance, please contact us.
If you have any questions or want more information on the Universal Recycling Ordinance please contact Nicole Manesh, Zero Waste Coordinator at sustainability@longmontcolorado.gov.
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