When you throw something away, it doesn’t just go “away.” That’s where we come in.

Western Disposal is a local, family-owned business that provides trash, recycling and compostable materials collection services to residential and commercial customers throughout Boulder, Broomfield and neighboring counties. Committed to quality service, our community, and the environment, Western’s core values closely align with those of the residents and businesses we serve.

Established in 1970, Western Disposal is Boulder County’s only locally owned, locally based, full-service solid waste management company. Still going strong 50 years later, we attribute our longevity to a laser focus on customer satisfaction and dedicated employees committed to providing exceptional service. Centrally located in east Boulder with staff on call seven days a week, we are uniquely positioned to rapidly respond to customer needs.

The Way to a Better Environment

Established in 1970 with the belief that a local company providing dependable, environmentally friendly waste collection services would benefit the entire community, Western has remained local and is still going strong 50 years later. We take pride in being an engaged community partner, innovating and implementing best practices in responsible waste management and environmental stewardship and always looking forward.

1970 THE BEGINNING Western Disposal was founded by Boulder native Dan Souders. 1986 INNOVATE Maintenance Manager Jack Seader designed and developed three-compartment recycling trucks to collect recyclables in Boulder and take the city’s recycling into the 20th century. (should this be the 21st century?) 2001 GO GREEN Western Disposal became the first company in the state to switch to automated collection trucks and wheeled collection carts for trash and dual-stream recycling. At the time of conversion, the City’s recycling rate was just 17%. Within a year and a half, the recycling rate doubled to 34% due to Western’s provision of large recycling carts. 2003 BREAK GROUND Western Disposal opened the first — and only — fully permitted composting facility in the county. 2008 DIVIDE & CONQUER Western Disposal rolled out the three-cart system (one cart each for trash, single-stream recyclables, and yard and food waste (organics)). Within just a few months, the county’s and city’s residential diversion rates increased to approximately 50%. 2009 CLEANER AIR Western Disposal began to transition its collection fleet from diesel fuel to compressed natural gas (CNG), eliminating 15 metric tons of CO2 emissions per truck annually. 2013 LET THE SUN SHINE Western Disposal got its 194kw solar awning up and running to provide 30% of the power required to run its facility. 2014 COMMUNITY PARTNER Western Disposal is designated a seat on Boulder County’s Resource Conservation Advisory Board, which plays an integral role in advising county commissioners on waste diversion policies and strategies. 2015 CONSTRUCTION RECYCLING To meet the city’s Green Points Building Program and Boulder County’s BuildSmart residential green building code requirements, Western Disposal became — and is still — the only company in the county offering construction waste recycling and sorting services. 2020 CONTINUE TO SERVE Western Disposal celebrated 50 years serving residents and businesses throughout Boulder, Broomfield and neighboring counties.
1970 THE BEGINNING Western Disposal was founded by Boulder native Dan Souders. 1986 INNOVATE Maintenance Manager Jack Seader designed and developed three-compartment recycling trucks to collect recyclables in Boulder and take the city’s recycling into the 20th century. (should this be the 21st century?) 2001 GO GREEN Western Disposal became the first company in the state to switch to automated collection trucks and wheeled collection carts for trash and dual-stream recycling. At the time of conversion, the City’s recycling rate was just 17%. Within a year and a half, the recycling rate doubled to 34% due to Western’s provision of large recycling carts. 2003 BREAK GROUND Western Disposal opened the first — and only — fully permitted composting facility in the county. 2008 DIVIDE & CONQUER Western Disposal rolled out the three-cart system (one cart each for trash, single-stream recyclables, and yard and food waste (organics)). Within just a few months, the county’s and city’s residential diversion rates increased to approximately 50%. 2009 CLEANER AIR Western Disposal began to transition its collection fleet from diesel fuel to compressed natural gas (CNG), eliminating 15 metric tons of CO2 emissions per truck annually. 2013 LET THE SUN SHINE Western Disposal got its 194kw solar awning up and running to provide 30% of the power required to run its facility. 2014 COMMUNITY PARTNER Western Disposal is designated a seat on Boulder County’s Resource Conservation Advisory Board, which plays an integral role in advising county commissioners on waste diversion policies and strategies. 2015 CONSTRUCTION RECYCLING To meet the city’s Green Points Building Program and Boulder County’s BuildSmart residential green building code requirements, Western Disposal became — and is still — the only company in the county offering construction waste recycling and sorting services. 2020 CONTINUE TO SERVE Western Disposal celebrated 50 years serving residents and businesses throughout Boulder, Broomfield and neighboring counties.

Giving Back

We are committed to giving back to the communities we serve and are a consistent supporter of Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFFA), Boulder Community Health Foundation and Imagine! Foundation. Our primary philanthropy, Crayons to Calculators, provides students in Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley public schools with the supplies they need to succeed at school. We are proud of this partnership, which serves families in need and provides more than 11,000 backpacks filled with grade-appropriate supplies to local students annually. In January 2019, we formed the Western Disposal & Associates Foundation, which targets support for local early childhood education programs.

Greening Our Operations

As a longtime member of the community, we share the core values that aim to reduce environmental impacts, providing services that help our customers responsibly manage their waste, thereby paving “The Way to A Better Environment.” In addition to being a leader in helping local communities become more sustainable, we invest in equipment and technologies to minimize our own impact on the environment.

Our collection fleet is fueled by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG), reducing our CO2 emissions by more than 900 metric tons annually. We power our facilities with 90% renewable energy. Our routing software improves safety, reduces vehicle miles driven and reduces fuel usage, along with our carbon footprint. Western Disposal has had ongoing PACE certification, a measure of overall commercial environmental stewardship, for 10 years.