Hard to Recycle Materials Guide

Thank you for helping to keep Golden Green!

The following guide offers information on local recycling options for materials that are not accepted in curbside recycling programs. Because these vendors are not affiliated with the City and are privately owned operations, their information may change at any time. We suggest calling ahead.

Xcel Refrigerator Recycling Get a $50 rebate for a qualifying refrigerator or freezer! To participate residents must be a residential electric customer of Xcel Energy, have the appliance picked up from the residential address listed on your billing account, and own the refrigerator or freezer you are recycling. Appliance must be working (cooling) order, measure between 10 to 30 cubic feet, and be plugged in at the time of pickup. Only recycle two refrigerators and/or freezers per household, per program year.

Working room air conditioners and dehumidifiers can be picked up in conjunction with a qualifying fridge / freezer. No rebate provided for air conditioners or dehumidifiers. Most miniature and commercially-sized refrigerators do not qualify. Any freezer must be a stand-alone unit. Rebate amount is subject to change.

  1. Schedule a pick up online or over the phone at 866-552-8755.
  2. Before your appointment, move your refrigerator or freezer outside your home.
  3. Print and sign the release form and leave it inside your appliance.
  4. Xcel will pick up the unit without physical contact and without entering the home.
  5. You will receive a $50 check by mail for each working fridge or freezer recycled.

Habitat Home Improvement OutletFor gently used and functional appliances. Pickup services available upon request.

10625 W Interstate 70 Frontage Rd, Wheat Ridge
(303) 421-1908

Curbside Appliance Pick Up Program:  The City of Golden now offers curbside appliance recycling to all single family and town homes in Golden. Acceptable appliances are limited to full sized washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, and stove/ovens.

Items not listed here (including microwave ovens and small refrigerators) will not be picked up. Appliances should be set out in a driveway or in front or side areas of the yard not impeded by a fence or gate. Each appliance must be clearly labeled, “FOR CITY OF GOLDEN RECYCLING.” Please place the item out by 8 a.m.

Please fill out the online form OR call (303) 953-5800 and leave your NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, AND TYPE OF APPLIANCE FOR PICKUP. Pickup is the following TUESDAY for calls received by Thursday of the prior week. Calls received after Thursday will be scheduled for the next week. City staff will call to confirm the date.

Eco-Cycle: Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials:  Appliances of any size that are made of at least 50% metal.

*Items that contain Freon® must, by state law, have the Freon chemicals removed by a professional before disposal. This includes refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and freezers.

6400 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder

(303) 444-6634

  • Items WITH Freon®:  $18*
  • Items without Freon®:  $0

Arvada RecyclingOvens, stoves, dishwashers, microwaves, toaster ovens, small appliances, etc. (no refrigerators or A/C units)

9630 Ralston Road, Arvada

(303) 423-4189

Action Recycling Center:  Ovens, stoves, dishwashers, microwaves, toaster ovens, small appliances, etc. (no refrigerators or A/C units)

7610 W. 42nd Ave., Wheatridge

(303) 424-1600

Items with Freon

Haul Yourself

Amerecycle:  Haul Yourself or call for a pick-up (for a fee)

Other Services that Pick-up for a Fee

1733 S Kline Way, Lakewood

(720) 628-0220

EVRAZ Recycling Denver:  Drop off between 7 and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Freon system must stay in tact; the pay for scrap metal depends on weight.

*Items that contain Freon® must, by state law, have the Freon chemicals removed by a professional before disposal. This includes refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and freezers.

5601 York St, Denver

303-295-2911

Rooney Road Recycling Center: Used motor oil, antifreeze, batteries, etc. By appointment only, please schedule online ahead of time or call (303) 269-9448 to schedule.

151 South Rooney Rd, Jefferson County

O’Reilly Auto Parts: Free motor oil and battery recycling drop off at metro-area stores.

17505 South Golden Rd, Golden

(303) 273-5448

Alkaline batteries can be disposed of in your trash.

Rooney Road Recycling Center

Car, Ni-Cd, lead acid, lithium, and alkaline batteries with co-pay charge. By appointment only, please schedule online ahead of time or call (303) 269-9448 to schedule.

151 South Rooney Rd, Jefferson County

Arvada Recycling

Car batteries only

9630 Ralston Road, Arvada

(303) 384-0875

Home Depot

Lead acid batteries and rechargeable batteries

16900 Colfax Ave., Golden

(303) 384-0875

These locations do not accept paints and stains. Please see the Paint section for further resources.

Habitat Home Improvement OutletFor gently used and functional appliances, cabinets, flooring, furniture, heating and cooling, insulation, landscaping, lighting and electrical, lumber and trim, mirrors, plumbing, roofing, sheet goods, tools, windows and doors. Pickup services available upon request.

10625 W Interstate 70 Frontage Rd, Wheat Ridge

(303) 421-1908

ReSource Central’s Material Reuse FacilityFor gently used and functional appliances, cabinets, flooring, furniture, heating and cooling, insulation, landscaping, lighting and electrical, lumber and trim, mirrors, plumbing, roofing, sheet goods, tools, windows and doors. Pickup services and deconstruction assessments may be available. Call or email to learn more.

6400 Arapaho Rd, Boulder

(303) 419-5418

Rooney Road Recycling Center:  Businesses who are small quantity generators of hazardous waste are welcome, and charged for disposal according to the type and amount of waste. By appointment only; please schedule online ahead of time or call (303) 269-9448 to schedule.

151 South Rooney Rd, Jefferson County

Annual Christmas tree recycling is provided by the City of Golden Forestry Division.

Drop your tree off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the intersection of Golden Gate Canyon and Newstar Way until January 27, 2024. Your tree will be turned into mulch and made available for Golden gardens this spring!

(303) 384-8141

Rooney Road Recycling Center:  Accepts fire-extinguishers (co-pay charged), large barbecue cylinders (co-pay charged), and small camping stove bottles (no charge). All other cylinders on case by case basis. By appointment only, please schedule online ahead of time or call 303-269-9448 to schedule.

151 S. Rooney Rd, Jefferson County

Home DepotUnwanted or non-functioning CFLs may be taken to the returns desk at any Home Depot for free recycling. The CFLs must be intact and not broken into pieces.

16900 W. Colfax Ave, Golden

(303) 384-0875

Electronic waste is now classified by Colorado Law as a hazardous waste. Waste haulers will not accept these items in the trash and may charge a fee for separate pick up.

Rooney Road Recycling CenterA per item fee is charged to cover the cost of disposal. By appointment only, please schedule online ahead of time or call (303) 269-9448 to schedule.

151 South Rooney Rd, Jefferson County

Action Recycling:  Computers, laptops, printed circuit boards, keyboards, mice, printers, photocopiers, cell phones, video games, UPS backup power supplies. Many of these items may be dropped off during business at no cost to you, but please understand there may be a fee for some. Not accepting TVs, computer monitors, nor anything containing refrigerants such as fridges, freezers, AC units. (303) 424-1600

7610 W. 42nd Ave, Wheat Ridge

(303) 424-1600

SustainAbility H2R CentersAccepts computers, laptops, printed circuit boards, keyboards, mice, printers, photocopiers, cell phones, video games, stereos, and (for a fee) computer monitors and televisions.

6340 W. 54th Ave., Arvada

(303) 425-9226

Best Buy:  Accepts TV and video components (tube TVs up to 32″ only), computers & tablets, cell phones & radios, appliances (vacuums & fans only), ink & toner, rechargeable batteries (no alkaline), audio, music, & movies, video games & gadgets, cameras & camcorders, car audio, video & gps units.

1400 Denver West Blvd, Lakewood

(303) 273-5617

Habitat Home Improvement Outlet:  For gently used and functional appliances, cabinets, flooring, furniture, heating and cooling, insulation, landscaping, lighting and electrical, lumber and trim, mirrors, plumbing, roofing, sheet goods, tools, windows and doors. Pickup services available upon request.

10625 W Interstate 70 Frontage Rd, Wheat Ridge

(303) 421-1908

ReSource Central’s Material Reuse Facility:  For gently used and functional appliances, cabinets, flooring, furniture, heating and cooling, insulation, landscaping, lighting and electrical, lumber and trim, mirrors, plumbing, roofing, sheet goods, tools, windows and doors. Pickup services and deconstruction assessments may be available. Call or email to learn more.

6400 Arapaho Rd, Boulder

(303) 419-5418

The Good Couch:  Will pick up usable, non-patterned couches, sofas and other upholstered or leather furniture for FREE. Unusable items will be picked up for a fee but will be recycled and/or repurposed.

8475 West Colfax Ave., Lakewood

(303) 246-2174

Curbside Mattress Pick Up Program:  The City of Golden now offers curbside mattress and box spring recycling to all single family and town homes in Golden. Acceptable mattresses and box springs will not be wet or frozen. Mattresses or box springs with any sign of bed bugs (black dots on the bed) will not be picked up.

Items should be set out in a driveway or in front or side areas of the yard not impeded by a fence or gate. Mattresses and box springs should be protected from standing water or frozen ground. Each item must be clearly labeled, “FOR CITY OF GOLDEN RECYCLING.” Please place the item out by 8 a.m.

Please fill out the online form OR call (303) 953-5800 and leave your Name, Address, Phone Number, and Type of Appliance for Pickup. Pickup is the following Tuesday for calls received by Thursday of the prior week. Calls received after Thursday will be scheduled for the next week. City staff will call to confirm the date.

Spring Back Colorado:  Mattress and Box Spring recycling. Per item fee. Pick-up available. Call for current pricing.

4975 Pontiac St, Commerce City

(720) 515–1328

SustainAbility: Accepts mattresses and box springs.

6340 W 56th Ave, Arvada

303-425-9226

King Soopers

17171 S. Golden Rd., Golden

6340 W. 54th Ave., Arvada

(303) 425-9226

Ridwell

Subscription service taking hard-to-recycle items from your home, including plastic bags, textiles, clothes and shoes, batteries, light bulbs and more.

Private Nurseries:  It’s worth checking with the business the plants came from to see if they can reuse the pots.

Various

Home Depot: Customers can bring back their empty pots back to the Garden Center’s designated recycling area. Returned pots will either be refilled or if no longer usable The Home Depot’s partner, East Jordan Plastics Inc., turns them into new pots, trays, and hanging baskets.

16900 W. Colfax Ave, Golden

(303) 384-0875

6400 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder

(303) 444-6634

Must be white, unprinted and clean, with no tape or other packing materials. Please bag smaller pieces. No packing peanuts, please!

City Waste & Recycling:  Rigid Styrofoam is accepted in the City’s Pay-As-You-Throw residential curbside waste collection program.

For Golden Waste & Recycling customers only

6340 W. 56th Ave., Arvada
(303) 425-9226

USagain

Clothes, textiles, footwear, linens

See USagain website for drop-off locations

ARC Thrift Stores

Reusable clothes, textiles and shoes

Multiple locations in Lakewood and Arvada

the Action Center

Reusable clothes, textiles and shoes

Multiple locations in Lakewood

Ridwell

Subscription service taking hard-to-recycle items from your home, including plastic bags, textiles, clothes and shoes, batteries, light bulbs and more.

Home Subscription Service

Peerless Tire Store: Accepts bike tires for a fee, please call ahead to confirm at (303) 279-7877.

Big O Tires: Accepts bike tires for a fee, please call ahead to confirm at (303) 273-2999.

17204 S Golden Rd, Golden

17503 S Golden Rd, Golden

City of Golden Residential Pay-As-You-Throw waste collection program. Homeowners within city limits may sign up for bi-weekly curbside organics collection. The program accepts grass clippings, weeds, leaves, branches and limbs.

Curbside

Private Tree Care Providers:  Often these businesses own their own chippers and may be willing to shred slash for a fee. Great option if you would like to keep the resulting mulch.

Various

Clear Creek County:  Fee for out of County residents, open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1531 Soda Creek Rd, Idaho Springs

(303) 679-2482

Jeffco Mountain Resident Slash Drop OffAny size truck or trailer is welcome and dump fees are based on six cubic yards (162 cubic feet) of material: six yards is one load. The cost to drop off a single “load” is $20. Credit cards only. Accepts limbs, branches and tree debris. Max length – 8 feet. Max diameter – 6 inches. Also accepts pine needles, tree bark, and pine cones (bagged or unbagged). Leaves are accepted at the Thunder Valley Park location only. Tree stumps not accepted.

Various Jefferson County locations in the summer

(303) 589-4698

Golden Police DepartmentOffers an official, safe disposal site for unused or expired household medication in Golden City Hall. Accepts prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and vitamins in the drop box. However, Sharps items, chemotherapy medication, and marijuana products may not be disposed of in drop boxes. Healthcare facility waste is also not permitted. If you are unsure your household medication is accepted, please call before dropping it off.

911 10th St, Golden

Non-emergency line: (303) 384-8045

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Lobby & Jail Lobby:  Accepts prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and vitamins in the drop box. However, sharps items, chemotherapy medication, and marijuana products may not be disposed of in drop boxes. Healthcare facility waste is also not permitted. If you are unsure your household medication is accepted, please call before dropping it off.

200 Jefferson County Pkwy, Golden

Non-emergency line: (303) 271-0211

Rooney Road Recycling Center:  Small co-pay charged. By appointment only, please schedule online ahead of time or call 303-269-9448 to schedule.

151 S. Rooney Rd, Jefferson County

Additional resources for recycling of out of the ordinary wastes can be found at Ecocycle.org.

Free Household Chemicals & Paint

The Reuse Room at the Rooney Road Recycling Center offers a variety of household chemicals for free (options will vary dependent on donations):

  • Solvents
  • Gasoline
  • Pesticides
  • Fertilizer
  • Batteries
  • Household Cleaners

Or donate your own unused household chemicals so that someone else might make use of them.

Used paint products are also available through the PaintCare program.

COG Mesa

 Golden was named after Thomas L. Golden,
a gold prospector who arrived in Jefferson County in 1858.

Additional Resources

City of Golden, Colorado
COG Mesa
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