Our organizing/de-cluttering services always include helping our clients dispose of the items they no longer need in constructive and earth-friendly ways. We will drop these items off at their respective drop-off locations for you. 

 

In Boulder County, we have many excellent resources for recycling and disposal. People are often inquiring about the best modes of disposal, so as a community resource, here is what we've learned from experience.

 

For where to take items that can be resold or donated, see our Resale and Donation page.

 

 

CHARM: The "Center for Hard to Recycle Materials". At 6400 Arapahoe in Boulder, sharing space with ReSource. Open Mon-Sat, 9-5. There is a $3 facility fee per vehicle trip. There is a fee for dropping off some items, particularly electronics/computers which are charged by the pound, but no charge for many items.

 

http://www.ecocycle.org/charm

 

• plastic bags and bubble wrap • white foam block (NOT packing peanuts, unless they are the biodegradable kind that can be composted.)

• reusable shoes and textiles (stained or ripped okay but must be clean)

• traditional recyclables, i.e. paper, cardboard, plastic, glass bottles

• compost, along with already-shredded paper • yoga mats

• bicycles and bike parts • cooking oil (not motor oil)

• books and manuals • secure document shredding ($10/box)

• fire extinguishers • scrap metal

• wires and cords, including Christmas lights

• small mostly-plastic appliances

• large appliances, including those with freon ($15 for freon items)

• big durable #2 plastic items like buckets, toys, lawn chairs, kiddie pools

• electronics, including cell and home phones, TVs, and computers and printers. Charged at $.49/lb.

 

Hazardous Materials Management Facility: At 1901 63rd Street in Boulder. Wedn-Sat, from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. They take all the nasty household stuff... paints, bug sprays, fertilizers, auto products including gasoline, glues, solvents.... etc, etc. Hurray for them!

 

List of materials that they take: http://www.bouldercounty.org/env/hazwaste/pages/hazwastesaccepted.aspx

 

Wire hangers: (We are on a personal mission to remove these from all our client's closets!): Many dry cleaners will take these. Our favorite drop off location is Enviro Cleaners at 2859 28th Street (just south of Valmont).

 

Plastic Bags: Use drop boxes at King Soopers, Safeway, and Target, and at CHARM. Western Disposal and Eco-Cycle are very adamant that these should not be mixed with other recyclables.

 

Bubble Wrap: To CHARM or to Pak Mail at 2525 Arapahoe in Boulder.

 

Batteries: To the Hazardous Materials Management Facility ONLY. CHARM does not take these, nor does Eco-Cycle, nor does McGuckins or other stores.

 

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs: To drop box at Home Depot or take them to the Hazardous Materials Management Facility.  

 

Packing Peanuts: To shipping/packing stores for re-use. We take them to Pak Mail at 2525 Arapahoe, near McGuckins.  

 

Secure Documents that Need Shredding: At Western Disposal's new Materials Management Center at 2051 - 63rd Street in Boulder. Cost is $10 box or large bag.

 

Prescription Medications and Over-the-Counter Medicines:
These MUST be disposed of with care and not put down the sink or toilet! The Boulder County Sheriff's office has a drop box in their lobby at 5600 Flatiron Pkwy, Boulder, CO 80301. (That's just east of 55th.) Or you can dispose of them yourself if you do so conscientiously. A good method is to add clumping-style cat litter to the medication in its' original bottle, add a little water, then seal it up tight with the original safe lid. Then you can throw it in the trash and remove the labels. You can also do this with glue.

 

Twice a year, there are local drop-off locations in coordination with the National Drug Take-Back Initiative program.