Background

Lexington, KY (pop. 305,489), residents use a blue rolling recycling cart to collect their commingled recyclables. The cart, known as “Rosie,” joins the green refuse cart (“Herbie”) and the gray yard waste cart (“Lenny”) at the curb weekly on collection day. “The Horse Capital of the World” is home to the University of Kentucky and is the second-largest city in the state behind nearby Louisville.

Materials recycled

Paper Accepted paper items include corrugated cardboard, cardboard tubes, paperboard boxes (with gray or brown insides), pizza boxes, cereal boxes, white paper, colored paper, envelopes, calendars, brown paper bags, notepads, folders, newspapers, magazines, flyers, brochures, phone books, shredded paper (secured in a clear plastic bag) and any box that does not have a plastic coating. All cardboard and paperboard boxes must be flattened. Plastics Two-liter drink bottles, juice bottles and jugs, water bottles, milk jugs and detergent bottles (empty and rinsed, no lids or caps). No plastic bags accepted. Metals Steel food cans, aluminum cans and metal aerosol cans are accepted. All metal containers must be empty. Glass Glass bottles and jars (all colors) are accepted (no lids; rinsed; labels OK).

Frequency

Lexington residents take recyclables to the curb on a weekly basis on the same day as refuse and yard waste collection. Rosies must be placed curbside no earlier than 4 p.m. the day prior to collection and no later than 5 a.m. on collection day, at least 3 feet from the refuse cart and other obstructions. They must be returned to property no later than 7 p.m. on pick-up day. A collection map is available online.

Other programs

As mentioned above, gray yard waste carts, named Lenny, are placed at the curb on a weekly basis in Lexington. Grass clippings, leaves, plants, shrub trimmings and tree limbs can be placed in the Lenny. A pilot program that collects food waste in the Lenny began in a small part of southwest Lexington in 2011, but has yet to expand citywide. The LFUCG e-waste facility at 1306 Versailles Rd. collects the following e-waste items: computers, printers, copiers, printer cartridges, toner cases, handheld games, cell phones and other communication devices, microwave ovens, televisions and monitors, CDs/DVDs and their cases, VHS and cassette tapes, audio and video players/equipment, small corded electrical items (such as toasters, hair dryers or radios), holiday lights and extension cords, fluorescent light tubes (no CFLs), MP3 players, PDAs, laptops and electronic tablets and rechargeable batteries (no automotive/lead-acid or household alkaline batteries accepted). The facility is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesday, from noon to 4 p.m.; and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon. The City of Lexington offers an online household hazardous waste directory that offers safe disposal solutions for dozens of household items.

More information

Visit the City of Lexington Recycling Programs website for more recycling program info.