Littleton adopts hauler rules; enforcement starts Jan. 1, 2027

Littleton City Council unanimously approved rules requiring solid-waste haulers to get city licenses, report service data and meet recycling and pricing requirements. Enforcement starts Jan. 1, 2027; existing haulers have until July 1 to begin offering the required recycling service.

The council approved Ordinance 19-2026 on second reading at its Nov. 3 meeting. The final ordinance requires haulers collecting solid waste, recyclables or organics in Littleton to be licensed, with some exceptions. Haulers must provide information about their business, vehicles, insurance, services and rates, and file annual reports on the waste they collect and where it goes.

The city describes licensing as an initial step toward safer, more reliable collection, better waste tracking and greater accountability. Sustainability Coordinator Laura Rosenbaum said the information could help the city track progress toward waste-diversion goals and inform future decisions. She said enforcement would begin with outreach and warnings so existing arrangements have time to adjust.

For residential properties with four or fewer dwelling units and multifamily properties with five or more, haulers that regularly collect trash must offer curbside recycling at least every other week and include at least the materials on the city’s minimum recyclables list. Commercial customers who want recycling must receive service often enough to prevent containers from overflowing.

Haulers with an active agreement with the state’s recycling program cannot separately charge customers for covered recycling or charge for that service while also seeking reimbursement. A hauler without an agreement may charge a disclosed recycling fee capped at its per-gallon trash rate. The fee must end when an agreement covers that customer group and service area.

Residential customers must be offered different trash-container sizes, with larger containers costing more and no lower per-gallon rate for larger containers. Multifamily and commercial charges must be based on the volume of containers customers subscribe to. The ordinance also allows a residential monthly operating fee, capped at 75% of the monthly price for weekly collection of the smallest trash container. The council will set license fees separately by resolution; the ordinance does not set a dollar amount.

The pricing rules apply to new customer accounts beginning Jan. 1, 2027. For existing accounts under written contracts, they generally apply when a contract expires or renews, or when rates change beyond an adjustment already allowed by the contract. Existing haulers must notify customers at least 30 days before required recycling service begins. The city director may grant limited extensions for qualifying delays.

Public commenters differed on what could follow licensing. One urged the city to contract with one or two haulers, arguing that fewer trucks on the same streets could reduce road wear and improve efficiency. Another favored contracts with multiple vendors to retain competition and customer choice. Council members described a possible future system in which providers would compete for city contracts, but the Nov. 3 ordinance establishes licensing and service rules, not a contracted-hauler system.