New incentives, ranging from technical assistance to financial support, are now available to help Denver food service businesses comply with the city’s “Waste No More” universal recycling and composting requirements.

The program, announced Monday, is part of the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency’s goal to reduce consumption, waste and pollution in the city by creating “a more circular economy — one that prioritizes sharing, repairing, recycling and reusing materials,” according to an announcement from CASR. 

“With a small investment from the city, we can team up with local businesses to show that sustainability is good for their bottom line,” CASR Executive Director Elizabeth Babcock said. “By cutting waste and lowering costs, businesses can respond to customer demand. When businesses save money and reduce waste, our whole city wins, environmentally and economically.”

Eligible food businesses must offer dine-in service and have a physical presence in the City and County of Denver. 

Home-based businesses are not eligible to apply.

CASR offers two tracks for those interested in participating:

• Reuse Denver: Businesses may receive up to $1,000 in reusable service ware and guidance on replacing disposable items with reusables.

• Food Waste Composting: Provides up to $3,600 for up to 12 months of compost services, as well as guidance on how to add composting to keep food scraps out of landfills.

Both tracks include a city-approved restaurant advisor, who will walk businesses through integrating reusables and composting into daily operations.

Eligible businesses may apply to both programs, but with some prerequisites.

“Anyone offering dine-in service can apply for the Reuse Denver track, which supports businesses in switching from disposable items to reusable service ware,” Becky Goyton, a CASR spokesperson, told The Denver Gazette.

“For the food waste composting track, we first look for a demonstrated commitment to reuse,” Goyton said. “To be eligible, you must be either a current applicant for the 2026 Reuse Denver track, a past participant in Reuse Denver, or a participant in Denver’s Food Matters Restaurant Challenge for 2025–2026.”

More than two years after Denver voters passed the 2022 “Waste No More” ballot initiative, the Denver City Council members voted 10-2 to approve Council Bill 25-0628, amending the city code to expand recycling and composting across the city.

Enforcement of the ordinance begins Sept. 1, 2026, and will require composting for multi-family residential buildings, nonresidential buildings that handle food, such as restaurants, large outdoor events that serve food, construction and demolition projects larger than 500 square feet, and remodeling and renovation projects larger than 2,500 square feet.

For more information on the program, or to participate, visit www.denvergov.org/ReuseDenver