Where to Recycle a Lawn Mower in Boulder County
Spring is in full swing, and lawn mowers are being called back into service. If your lawn mower’s days are done, find the inside scoop on best practices and tips for recycling locally!
The growing season has arrived in Colorado’s Front Range, and many of us are firing up lawn mowers for the first time. If your mower has seen its last summer, don’t toss it in the trash! Here’s how to recycle it responsibly—and keep valuable scrap metal from wasting away in a landfill.
Lawn Mower Recyclers around Boulder County
- The Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) located at 6400 Arapahoe Road (next door to Resource Central, which is a great place to take a working mower you no longer need!)
- The Longmont Recycling Center located at 140 Martin Street.
- Explore even more options for recycling lawn mowers in the Front Range in the Eco-Cycle A–Z Recycling Guide!
Recycling a mower at Eco-Cycle’s CHaRM is simple!
The CHaRM in Boulder accepts all types of lawn mowers for recycling (aside from riding mowers, which should go to an automotive scrap yard instead). Fees vary depending on the type of mower. Read on to learn more about the different types of mowers, and find current recycling fees at CHaRM here—please note that prices are subject to change.
Gas Mowers
- If you’re recycling a gas mower, please be sure all gas and oil has been drained before drop off. The CHaRM window cashier will confirm that the mower is empty before it’s accepted. CHaRM does not accept gas or motor oil; these materials must be taken to a hazardous materials facility such as the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility
- Not sure how to safely drain gas and oil? Find tips for draining mowers here.
- Gas mowers that are confirmed empty can be recycled as scrap metal for the $3 facility fee.
Electric Mowers
CHaRM takes all three types of electric mowers:
- Corded: Safe to recycle as scrap metal for the $3 facility fee.
- Non-removable/internal batteries: Recyclable as e-waste for $0.59/lb plus the $3 facility fee.
- Removable/external battery: These batteries are easily removed and usually rechargeable in a dock; the batteries can be recycled at CHaRM for $2/lb or can go to the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF). The rest of the mower can be recycled as scrap metal for the $3 facility fee.
What happens to lawn mowers after recycling at CHaRM?
Most of the mowers brought to CHaRM are gas-powered, contributing to the roughly 7,800 lb of scrap metal we receive at the facility each day! Scrap metal is a very important recycling stream to a circular economy, because unlike many materials that can only be recycled a certain number of times before becoming too degraded, metal can be recycled indefinitely without any loss in quality. Recycling metal eliminates the need for mining new ore, which comes with a host of benefits for the planet!
Through the scrap metal recycling program at CHaRM, eligible drop-offs ranging in size from tiny metal shavings and staples to water heaters, barbecue grills, and plumbing pipes will be recycled into new car parts and kitchen appliances (which could also very well be made from those same items to begin with!). Just about any object that is at least 50% metal by weight and does not contain fluids or hazardous materials is eligible for scrap metal recycling at CHaRM—and there are no additional costs besides the $3 facility fee!
For electric mowers, especially those containing a battery, recycling is even more essential. Landfilling electronics is illegal in Colorado and can result in a hefty fine. More importantly, recycling lawn mowers allows us to safely capture heavy metals and other hazardous materials inside electronics that, when landfilled, become a dangerous pollutant to the water supply.
When recycling an electric mower or other electronics, Eco-Cycle recommends using an e-Steward Certified recycler to ensure your electronics are recycled to the highest ethical and environmental standards.
Mow Down Pollution Discount for Electric Mower Purchases
The Mow Down Pollution Program is currently encouraging use of the 30% state discount available for electric mowers purchased at participating retailers.
If needed, customers can request a receipt at the CHaRM window that specifically notes that a mower or other item was recycled at the facility. This documentation can be used to meet requirements for certain voucher or reimbursement programs.
Got questions?
We have answers. Contact [email protected], call our recycling helpline at 303-444-6634, and learn more about what we accept at CHaRM at ecocycle.org/charm.
