Planning for Golden's Next PAYT Waste Collection Contract

Share Your Input for Golden's Waste Services

The City is preparing for the next Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) waste collection contract, which begins in September 2026. We want to hear from residents about their experiences with the current program and priorities for the future. All residents—whether or not you currently participate in PAYT—are encouraged to respond. As a thank you, survey participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $50 prizes, either as a bill credit for PAYT customers or as a cash prize for non-participants. Please take a few minutes to complete the PAYT Survey at the bottom of this page.

Golden’s residential PAYT program reduces landfill waste by offering recycling and composting alongside trash service. Since adding these services, the community’s diversion rate has increased more than 15%, conserving landfill space and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Landfill capacity in our region is limited, and disposal costs are expected to increase over time. Recycling and composting extend the life of our landfill and create valuable products—compost becomes healthy soil, and recyclables are made into new materials. These efforts support Golden’s goal of diverting 80% of waste from landfills by 2030.

Goals of the Survey

• Identify areas for improvement to existing waste services
• Measure interest in new/expanded services
• Prioritize customer’s experience

Timeline

• Oct. 1-15, 2025: Community survey open for feedback.
• Oct. – Dec. 2025: Survey results reviewed by city staff and the Community Sustainability Advisory Board.
• Jan. – Aug. 2026: City issues a request for proposals, reviews bids, and negotiates a contract with the selected waste hauler.
• Sept. 1, 2026: New PAYT contract begins.

History of Golden's Pay-As-You-Throw Program

Golden’s PAYT program was created to support the City’s sustainability goals and reduce the community’s reliance on landfills.

• In 2007, City Council set a goal to reduce Golden’s solid waste stream by 25% by 2017, leading to the development of a single-hauler waste program.
• In 2010, Council passed Ordinance 1868 and launched PAYT, contracting Waste Management to provide trash and recycling services for residential households.
• In 2015, the City selected Alpine Waste & Recycling for a new five-year contract, which expanded the optional compost program citywide to all single-family neighborhoods.
• In 2020, this contract was extended for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In 2021, a new contract with Republic Services expanded the PAYT program to include curbside compost as a standard service and seasonal yard waste collections.

Today, the PAYT program provides trash, recycling, and compost service to more than 4,700 households. These services, along with bundled yard waste and large-item pickup options, have helped Golden increase its waste diversion rate by more than 15% since the program began.

For more information about current PAYT services, visit our Trash, Recycling and Compost page.