Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM)
OPEN Mon – Sat, 9 am – 4 pm Closed on Sundays. Jump to CHaRM Guidelines and Prices
CHaRM opened in 2001 and was the first facility of its kind in the nation. It collects unusual materials like electronics and plastic bags for recycling and reuse. We recycle all of our electronics domestically and responsibly. Learn more.
Why is there a $3 facility fee? Our Commitment: Recycling Electronics Responsibly What happens to CHaRM materials? Donate Books to Children in Need at the CHaRM CHaRM Collection Events in Other Communities
CHaRM Guidelines and Prices
Eco-Cycle charges a $3 fee for every vehicle coming to the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) to recycle materials. The fee is in addition to the recycling fees that apply to specific materials like electronics, bike tires and porcelain.
ElectronicsNEW! Samsung Consumer Electronics • Accepted at no charge (except $3 facility fee). • Samsung has made the CHaRM an official partner in its voluntary manufacturer takeback program by paying the recycling costs of Samsung consumer electronic products, an example of Extended Producer Responsibility.
Audio Equipment • Home Stereo Components: $8 • Car Stereos: $4
Computers & Computer Equipment • Computer Monitors 19” or smaller: $10 • Computer Monitors 20” to 34”: $15 • Computer Towers/CPUs: $8 • Printers/Scanners: $8 • Laptops: $4 • Universal Power Supply (UPS): $8 • Keyboards, Mice, Cables • Large* misc. computer equip.: 30¢/lb. *More than 40 lbs.
Copiers & Fax Machines • Fax Machines: $8 • Desktop Copiers: $8 • Large Copiers (over 40lbs.): 30¢/lb
Phones • Cell Phones • Office Phones: $4 • Home Phones: $2
Printer Cartridges • Ink Jet and Laser Jet Printer Cartridges
Small Electronic Items • Digital cameras: $2 • PDAs and Gameboys: $2 • Video Game Systems: $4-$8 (depending on size) • Walkmans/iPods: $2
TVs & VCRs/DVD Players • TVs 19” or smaller: $10 • Mid-Size TVs 20” to 34”: $15 • Consoles and TVs larger than 34”: $30 • VCRs/DVD Players: $8 • Satellite Boxes: $8 PlasticsPlastic Bags & Bubble Wrap • Includes plastic shopping and newspaper bags, ziplock bags, dry cleaner bags and bubble wrap • MUST be clean, dry, and empty of all food, receipts, etc. with tape and stickers removed • NO plastic food wrap or black bags; no packing peanuts or foam wrap
#6 White Block Foam Packaging • #6 White Block Foam Packaging and Rigid Foam Insulation only • Businesses: $6 per cubic yard • NO packing peanuts, "Styrofoam" cups or “to-go” boxes, moisture or tape
Big Durable #2 Plastics • Large plastics such as Big Wheels® and plastic play structures, plastic lawn furniture, plastic watering cans, laundry baskets, clean plastic buckets (no residue), crates, rigid backyard kiddie pools and plastic trash containers. • Must be the size of a five-gallon bucket or larger but must also be less than 4 feet by 4 feet (can be cut to meet these dimensions). • In some cases, these plastics may not be marked with a #2, so look for them to be opaque with a matte finish and hollow inside. They are made with a mold, so will likely have a seam where two halves were joined. • Non-plastic parts must be removed, including straps, padding and fabric. Items requiring disassembly will be charged a $5 fee. • NO flower pots without a #2, inflatable pools or other inflatable plastics, water beds, chew toys, CD jewel cases, small toys such as action figures, etc. Bicycles & PartsBicycles and Bike Parts Any Condition • Includes integral parts such as seats, pedals, handlebars, wheels, etc. and metal accessories such as baskets and Pannier racks • NO other accessories or sporting goods
Bike Tires & Tubes • $.50 per bike tire • Puncture-resistant or slime tubes should be kept separately • NO automotive or other tires MiscellaneousBooks & Manuals • Computer and Office Manuals • Hard-Bound Books and Paperbacks *Call for quantities one pallet and larger
Cooking Oil • Includes canola, corn, vegetable, olive and sesame oils • NO motor oil or any oil used for purposes other than cooking.
Fire Extinguishers • Boulder Residents with ID: No additional charge • Non-Boulder Residents: $4
Shredding Service • Paper materials only • $10 per file box • View our tips to reduce shredding.
Toilets, Sinks and Urinals • Toilet, porcelain only (all other materials removed): $4 • Toilet, whole (other materials still attached): $10 • Sink or urinal, porcelain only: $2 • Sink or urinal, plumbing attached: $5 • Porcelain with biohazards will NOT be accepted.
Yoga Mats • Plastic foam, rubber foam and jute mats: $1/each • NO badly soiled or smelly mats • NO Tatami or other grass mats Textiles• Clothing, Bedding, Towels, Fabrics
• Paired Shoes (no mud)
• Items may be stained or ripped, but they must be clean. Must be 12” square or larger.
• NO underwear or socks
Scrap Metal, Single-Stream Recycling & Compost
Scrap Metal
• Items without Freon®: no charge • Items WITH Freon®: $15
Items that contain Freon® must, by state law, have the Freon chemicals removed by a professional before disposal. The $15 fee helps the CHaRM cover these costs. Items with Freon include refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and freezers.
NO Wire fencing, oil or fuel in motors, batteries, or propane canisters. Electronics are not scrap metal but can be recycled at the CHaRM for a fee.
Single-Stream Recycling
Single-stream recycling is accepted at the CHaRM for no charge. Learn more about what's accepted in single-stream recycling.
CHaRM accepts food scraps, soiled paper, Zero Waste event supplies and small quantities of yard debris for composting. Learn more about what can be composted and why composting is important. A small charge helps us offset the cost of the program:
Why is there a $3 facility fee?
The CHaRM is financially subsidized by three partners: the city of Boulder, Eco-Cycle and dedicated recyclers like you. In these difficult economic times, the city of Boulder and Eco-Cycle are not able to cover the cost increases for CHaRM services without you, our third partner.
The benefit of the facility fee is economic and environmental. Some visitors to the CHaRM come in a virtually empty car just to drop off a bit of white block foam or a small bundle of plastic bags. We don’t want the environmental gains of the CHaRM to be negated by the carbon emissions of vehicles, so our hope is that the fee will encourage recyclers to economize their trips to the CHaRM by storing their materials until they have one big load.
THREE WAYS TO SAVE on the facility fee at the CHaRM:
We know times are hard for you, too, so we have three suggestions for saving on the facility fee.
> Frequent Recycler Card: Purchase this virtual card that gives you five trips for $10, saving $1 per visit. The card doesn’t expire, and we keep a record of it at the CHaRM, so it’s Zero Waste and you won’t lose it.
> Carpool: Pool your materials together with your neighbors’ and friends’, so you only have to pay one facility fee.
> Bike it in: If you are one of the many recyclers who visit us on a bike, you will not be charged a facility fee. The CHaRM is right by the junction of the Goose Creek Path and the Boulder Creek Path, so it’s easy to get to us. (Fees to recycle specific materials, such as electronics, bike tires and porcelain, will still apply.)
There will be no charge for customers dropping off only single-stream recycling or scrap metal.
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5030 “Old” Pearl St. (1 block north of Pearl Parkway off 49th St.)
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