About recycling

Residents with service: Residents with City waste service can recycle using their blue roll cart. If you do not have a blue recycle cart, request one by calling LexCall at 311 or submitting a request form online. 

Residents without service: Residents without City waste service can recycle using one of the blue mixed drop-off recycling containers located throughout Lexington. Material disposed of using either a blue roll cart or drop-off container should be loose, never bagged.    

Blue mixed drop-off recycling containers

Collection day: As is the case with all carts, your blue recycle cart should be placed on the curb no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before your collection and no later than 5 a.m. on the day of your collection. Carts must be removed from the curb by 7 p.m. on your collection day. 

New cart: Residents can request additional blue carts. There is a one-time $60 container fee and $3.60 sales tax for each additional blue cart. Call LexCall at 311 for more information or to request an extra cart.

Businesses carts: Businesses are allotted two carts. Additional carts can be requested. If approved, there will be a one-time charge of $60 for each additional cart plus $3.60 sales tax. 

Excess cardboard: Extra cardboard may be placed at the curb near your carts on your regular collection day. Boxes must be empty, flattened and tied or bundled. Please do not set cardboard out on rainy days. It is important to keep recyclable materials dry.

Never bag recyclables. Items should be put in the blue cart or recycling dumpster clean, dry and loose.

• Aluminum cans: soda and beer cans
• Steel cans, lids and canisters: canned food (labels can stay on); lids from spaghetti sauce, salsa and other glass food jars (lid separate from jar); metal canisters for coffee, tea or cookies
• Plastic screw top bottles, jugs and jars (caps on): soda and water bottles; milk jugs; liquid laundry detergent jugs; peanut butter jars
• Dry cardboard with packing material removed: moving boxes; shipping boxes; carry out/delivery pizza boxes (please throw away parts of the box with food residue or grease)
• Box board: gift boxes; shoe boxes; cereal boxes; toilet paper rolls; paper towel rolls; wrapping paper rolls; soda or beer boxes; tissue boxes; frozen food boxes; paper egg cartons; clean, paper takeout containers (plastic takeout containers are NOT accepted)
• Paper: office paper; magazines; catalogs; envelopes; newspaper; packing paper
• Cartons: milk; cream; juice; broth; wine (bladder removed); soup
• Brown paper: paper grocery bags; packing paper; kraft paper
• Glass bottles and jars, colored and clear: soda, beer and wine bottles; pasta sauce jars; salsa jars

The specific items listed are examples, not a comprehensive list. 

Download a flyer on what to recycle

Visit our Recycling FAQ page

Trash in recycling carts and dumpsters make the Recycle Center less efficient. Many unwanted items can damage equipment or pose a risk to workers. Please throw these items away in your green roll cart or dispose of them using the alternative method indicated. These items include:

• Plastic bags, wrap and film (Several stores accept plastic bags for recycling.)
• Air pockets (often used for shipping)
• Plastic spinach and lettuce boxes, etc
• Hoses
• Bungee cords
• Batteries (Batteries can be recycled at the Electronic Recycling Center.)
• Electronics like TVs, computers, phones and more (These items can be recycled at the Electronic Recycling Center.)
• Compressed gas canisters (Return to the purchase location or hold for the next HHW Event.)
• Shredded paper (Throw in green trash cart or bring to the next Paper Shred.)
• Clothes (Several charities will accept clothing and other cloth items for reuse.)
• Chains (Metal can be recycled through Cohen Recycling. Chains and other metal should not be put in curbside recycling carts or recycling dumpsters.)
• Medical waste (Place used needles and other sharp objects inside a sharps container (like a coffee can), seal it so it won't come open and then dispose of the can with your household trash. Urine bags and medical tubing can be put in green trash carts after they are secured in garbage bags. Empty urine bags first.)
• Pyrex or plate glass
• Ceramics
• String lights (String lights can be recycled at the Electronic Recycling Center.)
• Styrofoam containers
• Clam shell packaging
• Disposable cups, hot or cold
• Aluminum foil, pie tins and baking tins
• K-Cup type pods
• Plastic yogurt cups, sour cream containers and other similar containers
• Wrapping and tissue paper

Set out times:
As is the case with all carts, your green trash cart and bulky items should be placed on the curb no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before your collection and no later than 5 a.m. on the day of your collection. Carts must be removed from the curb by 7 p.m. on your collection day.

Find your collection day  

2024 holiday collection schedule

Additional cart:
Residents can request an additional blue recycling cart. There is a one-time $60 container fee plus $3.60 sales tax. There is not an additional monthly landfill fee for a second blue cart. Request an extra cart online.

Request an additional cart

Spacing:
Please leave at least three feet between each cart and other objects.

The Lexington Recycle Center serves communities throughout Central Kentucky. Partner communities include Anderson County, Berea, Boyle County, Clark County, Danville, Frankfort, Franklin County, Georgetown, Harrison County, Harrodsburg, Jessamine County, Lawrenceburg, Madison County, Montgomery County, Nicholasville, Scott County, Shelby County, Shelbyville, Simpsonville, Versailles and Winchester.

If your community recycles with us, the information on acceptable and unwanted items applies to you as well. Please note that some affiliates don’t accept glass due to the risk to collectors.