Load rules / checked August 2026
What goes in a dumpster in Colorado Springs.
Most of a cleanout or demo load is fair game. Colorado bans a short, specific list — and local facilities add a few rules of their own. Here is the whole picture.
01 / THE YES LIST
Load it — with Colorado's exceptions.
The accepted list is long and boring. The banned list is short and enforced.
Accepted in most loads
Household contents and furniture. Clothing, boxes, toys, shelving — the entire contents of a cleanout. Remodeling debris: drywall, lumber, flooring, cabinets, counters, tile, doors, windows. Construction and demolition debris. Shingles and roofing material with a weight plan. Yard debris, branches, and brush. Fencing and decking. If your load is a mix of those, you can stop reading and call (719) 873-6848 for the box size.
Banned from Colorado landfills, statewide
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prohibits five categories from disposal at any solid waste facility in the state: lead-acid batteries; liquid wastes or anything containing free liquids — which is why liquid paint, fuel, and used oil never enter a roll-off; used oil as its own category; waste tires; and waste electronics. The electronics ban comes from the Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB12-133) and has been in force since July 2013 — TVs, computers, monitors, and peripherals are out, whether the load comes from a house or a business. These are not our house rules; they follow the load to the gate of every landfill in the state.
Appliances and refrigerant
Washers, dryers, ranges, and water heaters travel as ordinary metal-heavy debris — flag them so the weight plan is honest. Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners are different: the refrigerant must be recovered before disposal, and El Paso County's recycling directory lists the Colorado Springs Landfill for Freon recovery on fridges and freezers. Tell us about refrigerant appliances when you book and the route gets planned with the rest of the load.
Dense material: weight beats volume
Concrete, soil, rock, brick, tile, plaster, and shingles reach the truck's weight limit long before they fill a container, so they load into a smaller box at an agreed fill height — the 15-yard page explains the mechanics. Clean concrete and asphalt have a better route entirely: El Paso County's 2026 Recycling Directory lists Colorado Aggregate Recycling on East Las Vegas Street (asphalt, bricks, cinder blocks, concrete, rock, pavers, roofing tiles, sand) and Martin Marietta on Capital Drive (asphalt, concrete). Keep those loads free of trash and rebar tangles and they can be recycled instead of buried.
Where the rest of the load actually goes
Four permitted outlets serve this market. The WM Colorado Springs Landfill on Blaney Road accepts C&D and municipal solid waste, with asbestos and other special wastes handled only by prior arrangement directly with the facility — which is why suspect material never goes in a rental box. WM's Midway Landfill in Fountain accepts C&D, municipal solid waste, clean soils, and yard waste, and takes no hazardous waste. Waste Connections' Fountain Landfill on Squirrel Creek Road, about two miles east of Fountain, is a CDPHE-permitted municipal solid waste site. And the El Paso County Transfer Station opened in 2026 off Hancock Expressway in southeast Colorado Springs, consolidating construction debris, roofing, yard waste, and concrete for the landfill run. You never pick the facility — but your material list decides which gates the load can clear.
When in doubt, ask before it goes in
Sealed drums and containers, anything with a chemical label, automotive fluids, mattresses in some loads, and anything you cannot identify: hold it and ask. Pulling one wrong item out of a driveway pile takes a phone call; dealing with it at a landfill gate takes your time and money. Call (719) 873-6848 with the material list and we settle the whole load plan — box size, weight terms, and the items that need their own route — in one conversation.
Bans per CDPHE; facility listings per operators and the El Paso County Recycling Directory 2026. Checked August 2026.
02 / FAQ
Load questions, answered.
The items people ask about most, against the actual Colorado rules.
Can paint go in the dumpster?
Liquid paint cannot — Colorado bans liquids and wastes containing free liquids from solid waste facilities. That covers open or partial cans. Ask about fully dried or empty cans when you book, and keep stains, solvents, and anything chemical-labeled out of the load entirely.
What about an old TV or computer from a cleanout?
Electronics have been banned from Colorado landfills since July 2013 under the Electronic Recycling Jobs Act — TVs, computers, monitors, and peripherals, from homes and businesses alike. Set them aside for an e-waste route; they cannot ride in the box.
Car batteries or tires?
Neither. Lead-acid batteries and waste tires are both on Colorado’s statewide list of materials prohibited from landfill disposal, so they stay out of every roll-off load. Auto parts stores and tire shops in the area commonly take back their own product categories — ask where you bought them.
Is a refrigerator okay if the door is removed?
The door is not the issue — the refrigerant is. Fridges, freezers, and AC units need refrigerant recovered before disposal, and El Paso County’s recycling directory lists the Colorado Springs Landfill for that Freon recovery. Flag any refrigerant appliance when you book and we plan its route.