Denver trash pickup is changing — what you need to know

The day your trash is collected in Denver will most likely change starting Jan. 3 — but it will vary by neighborhood.

What's happening: The city's transportation department announced new routes that will reduce trash pickups to four days and require 70% of Denver customers to set out bins out on a different day.

• The changes are expected to make pickup services more efficient, saving 62,000 miles driven and reducing fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Why it matters: The tweak marked the first route alteration in at least 15 years, city officials tell Axios.

• The modifications come as a result of a growing population and a shortage of trash drivers. The city is working to fill 25 of its 131 positions with $2,500 signing bonuses, city spokesperson Vanessa Lacayo told Axios.

What they're saying: "When you have a route system that hasn't grown in 15 years and in a city that's grown by about 200,000 people … it made sense at this time to rethink how we can be more efficient," Lacayo said.

The bottom line: The changes are intended to equalize travel mileage among drivers, ensure more consistency of trash pickups and reduce transportation costs.

Explore the city's interactive map

This story first appeared in the Axios Denver newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard. Subscribe here.