What Can I Put in a Dumpster in Colorado?
What can I put in a dumpster is the question to ask before you load, not after. Most household junk and building debris are fine. Paint, tires, batteries, and chemicals are not.
Quick answer
Most household junk, furniture, wood, drywall, and yard waste can go in a dumpster. Liquid paint, solvents, batteries, tires, electronics, and refrigerant appliances cannot. One banned item can mean a refused pickup or a $100 or more fee.
What can I put in a dumpster?
Most everyday junk is fine. Household trash, old furniture, clothes, toys, and general clutter all go in. Construction debris is fine too. Wood, drywall, flooring, roofing, cabinets, and fixtures are all accepted in a general debris box.
Yard waste is accepted by most haulers. Branches, leaves, grass, and shrubs can go in. Check first if your load is mostly soil or sod. Soil is heavy and may need a separate heavy debris box.
Appliances without refrigerant are usually fine. Washers, dryers, and stoves can go in. Appliances with refrigerant need special handling. See the banned list below.
Allowed vs banned: the full list
| Allowed in a general box | Banned from a general box |
|---|---|
| Household junk and furniture | Liquid paint, solvents, chemicals |
| Wood, drywall, flooring | Motor oil, fuel, pesticides |
| Roofing shingles and cabinets | Batteries of any kind |
| Yard waste and branches | Tires and propane tanks |
| Clothes, toys, clutter | Electronics, TVs, monitors |
| Non refrigerant appliances | Fridges and freezers with refrigerant |
| Carpet and padding | Asbestos and medical waste |
| Glass and metal scrap | Hot ashes and liquids |
Concrete, dirt, brick, and asphalt are not banned outright. They are banned from a general debris box. They need a dedicated heavy debris container, usually a 10 yard box. Our concrete rental page covers heavy debris boxes.
What happens if a banned item is found
Three things can happen. First, the driver can refuse pickup. The box stays on your drive until you pull the item out. You pay for the failed trip in some contracts. Trip fees run $50 to $150.
Second, the landfill can reject the load. A rejected load goes back on the truck. You pay for a second haul and for sorting. Sorting fees run $100 to $500 or more for a contaminated load.
Third, the hauler can add a per item fee. One Pekin market example charges $100 per restricted item. The fee lands on your final bill, weeks after pickup. The cheapest fix is to sort banned items out before loading day.
Where to take each banned item in Colorado instead
Paint and chemicals go to a county household hazardous waste site. Greeley has the North Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1311 N 17th Ave. Most Colorado counties run a similar site or a collection event. Call your county before you drive over. Hours and accepted items vary.
Electronics go to a county e-waste site. Boulder County runs the Eco-Cycle CHaRM at 6400 Arapahoe Rd. It takes electronics and hard to recycle items. The Boulder County Recycling Center at 1901 63rd St takes standard recyclables.
Tires go to a tire shop or a county waste site, often for a small fee per tire. Batteries go to a battery retailer or a hazardous waste site. Propane tanks go to a propane dealer. Appliances with refrigerant go to a scrap dealer that drains refrigerant first. Ask the dealer before you drop one off.
Asbestos is a special case. Never load it. Never break it. Call a licensed asbestos abatement firm in your county. Medical waste goes to your doctor, pharmacy, or county sharps program. Never put it in a dumpster.
Mattresses, the confusing one
Mattress rules vary by hauler and by market. Some haulers accept them. Some charge $50 to $150 per mattress. Some refuse them outright. A few states ban mattresses from landfills. Colorado has no statewide mattress landfill ban as of this writing, but hauler rules still differ.
Ask your hauler before you load a mattress. If it is accepted, place it on top or apart as the hauler asks. Some yards separate mattresses at the transfer station. If it is refused, a mattress recycler or a junk removal crew can take it. Do not hide one under other debris. A hidden mattress still shows up at the scale and sort line.
How to sort before you load
Set three piles before loading day. Pile one is general debris for the box. Pile two is heavy debris for a separate box. Pile three is banned items for the county site. Sorting takes an hour. It can save hundreds in fees.
Bag loose trash. Loose trash blows out in transit and can draw a litter fine. Break down furniture. Flat items pack tight and leave room for more. Load heavy items first and flat. Keep the load level and under the fill line. Our overfill guide shows the fill line rule and the cost of breaking it.
Items that need a separate box
Some items need their own container, not a spot in the general box. Concrete, dirt, brick, and asphalt need a heavy debris box. A 10 yard box is the standard pick. It is low and wide, and it keeps the load under the truck limit.
Yard waste can need its own box too. Some haulers offer a clean yard waste box at a lower tip fee. Branches, leaves, and grass go in. Soil and sod may not. Ask your hauler whether a clean green box costs less than a mixed box.
Roofing shingles can also ride alone. A dedicated shingle box keeps the weight clear and the tip fee simple. Mixed loads hide the weight until the scale. A separate box makes the weight plain from the start.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a mattress in a dumpster in Colorado?
It depends on the hauler. Some accept mattresses, sometimes with a surcharge. Some refuse them. Ask your hauler before you load one. A mattress fee can run $50 to $150.
Can I put paint in a dumpster?
No liquid paint. Wet paint, solvents, and chemicals are banned. Dried latex paint is sometimes allowed. Dry it out first with kitty litter or a paint hardener, then ask your hauler.
Can I put tires in a dumpster?
No. Tires are banned from dumpsters in most markets. Tire shops and county waste sites take them, often for a small fee per tire.
Can I put concrete in a general dumpster?
No, not mixed with household junk. Concrete, dirt, brick, and asphalt need a dedicated heavy debris box, usually a 10 yard box. Mixing them into a general box can mean a surcharge or a refused load.
What happens if a banned item is found in my load?
The driver may refuse pickup until you remove it. The landfill may charge a sorting fee of $100 to $500 or more. The hauler may add a per item fee. Remove banned items before pickup day.
Get a price and book
Sorted your load into the right piles? Book your box and check the Colorado prices guide for the market range. We confirm your exact price before you pay anything.
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Last updated: November 13, 2026. Prices shown are published market ranges with sources cited. Our exact prices are confirmed at booking.