On four summer Saturdays, residents across Wheat Ridge rise early to load their vehicles with worn-out couches, tree branches, dusty paint cans, and broken patio furniture. They’re preparing for a trek to a local church parking lot, where dumpsters are waiting to receive these forgotten and neglected items. These community clean up days are part of TLC Wheat Ridge, a joint program from Localworks and the Wheat Ridge Police Department designed to bring neighbors together to strengthen our community and keep our city clean.
The first TLC Clean Up Day will be held at Newland Church (4490 Newland St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033) on Saturday, June 21st, where Wheat Ridge residents will have the opportunity to dispose of their trash, recycling and yard trimmings in 16 dumpsters placed throughout the church’s parking lot. Dumpsters are grouped by type—general trash, recycling, and yard waste—and we recommend residents pre-sort their materials to speed up the disposal process onsite.
Four TLC Clean Up Days will be offered in 2025:
• Saturday, June 21st at Newland Church (4490 Newland St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033)
• Saturday, July 19th at Wheat Ridge Congregational Church (6310 W 29th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80214)
• Saturday, August 16th at St. James Episcopal Church (8235 W 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033)
• Saturday, September 20th at Applewood Baptist Church (11200 W 32nd Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033)
Each clean up day begins at 8:00am, with residents often arriving early to secure their spot in line, and concludes once the dumpsters are full, typically around 11:00am. The capacity of each dumpster varies based on the size and shape of disposed items, so we strongly encourage residents to break down their larger items and tree branches in advance to maximize space usage.
In the yard waste dumpsters we can accept loose leaves, yard clippings and scrap wood that is free of nails, staples or other metal, plus tree branches up to 4” in diameter. Please be prepared to dump out bags of leaves or other yard waste, and please break down your large branches in advance. In recycling bins, we can accept clean plastic, glass and cardboard free of grease or food residue, plus furniture or equipment that is at least 50% metal, metal scrap, aluminum cans, and empty aerosol cans. All other accepted items go in the general trash bins, including furniture, general household trash, plastic, paper and cardboard waste, and junk that cannot be recycled. Specialty dumpsters will also be reserved for paint in sealed containers, tires and mattresses.
As a brand new addition to the TLC program, we are excited to offer electronics recycling for the first time at our Clean Up Day on September 20th. Residents will be able to recycle their old computers, cell phones, TVs, and small household appliances. More information about electronics recycling including accepted items will be available soon at https://wearelocalworks.org/our-programs/tlc-wheat-ridge/
The following are items we are not able to accept: concrete, dirt, rocks, brick, commercial construction materials, large household construction materials, electronics, TVs, batteries, appliances containing freon (refrigerators, AC units, etc.), appliances without removable batteries, hazardous waste (i.e. flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive, biohazard), motor oil, oil filters, propane tanks, gasoline, bug zappers, pressurized aerosols, cleaners, adhesives, ammunition, medical waste (needles, syringes, lancets, etc.), and tree branches over 4” in diameter.
TLC Clean Up Days are offered to Wheat Ridge residents as a free community resource with support from Localworks and the City of Wheat Ridge. If you are able, Localworks highly encourages a $10 donation to keep TLC Clean Up Days affordable and accessible for all.
