Live Green Lexington

Citizens can drop off broken or unwanted holiday lights, including string lights, rope lights and electric candles at various collection sites. Extension cords, timers, light sensors and power strips will also be accepted.

Never put lights, or any electronics, in your blue recycling cart. Holiday lights cause lead to equipment problems and delays at the Recycling Center.

Collection bins will be at the following locations through Saturday, January 26, 2019:

• Broomwagon Coffee + Bikes (800 North Limestone)
• Chevy Chase Hardware (883 East High Street)
• Crank & Boom – Distillery District (1210 Manchester Street)
• Crank & Boom – The Summit at Fritz Farm (119 Marion Street)
• Gainesway Community Center (3460 Campus Way)
• Good Foods Co-Op (455-D Southland Drive)
• Government Center (200 East Main Street)
• Kenwick Community Center (313 Owsley Avenue)

• John’s Run/Walk Shop -- Chevy Chase (317 South Ashland Avenue)

• John’s Run/Walk Shop -- Palomar (3735 Palomar Centre Drive)

• Pivot Brewing (1400 Delaware Avenue)
• Third Street Stuff (257 North Limestone)
• West Sixth Brewing (501 West Sixth Street)

Businesses who are interested in serving as a collection site should email LiveGreen@LexingtonKY.gov.

The holidays are a busy time at Lexington’s Recycling Center. Help us keep the center running smoothly by recycling right. Find out how to properly dispose of your holiday waste below:

GREEN TRASH CART

These items go in the green trash cart, never in the recycling:

• Wrapping paper
• Padded envelopes
• Sticker sheets
• Ribbons, bows and string
• Tissue paper
• Bubble wrap and air pillows
• Plastic packaging
• Plastic bags, cellophane and film
• Musical greeting cards

BLUE RECYCLING CART

These items are recyclable in Lexington:

• Greeting cards and envelopes
• Gift boxes
• Shipping boxes
• Wrapping paper tubes
• Catalogs
• Paper bags and gift bags

View the full list of recyclable items and download a flyer for the home, classroom or office at LexingtonKY.gov/Recycling.

The list of recyclable items applies to homes with either private or city recycling services. Items not listed are not recyclable in Lexington regardless of your waste hauler.

If your home is serviced by a private waste hauler and you do not have a recycling cart, drop off your recyclables at one of Lexington’s free drop-off locations. Find one near you at LexingtonKY.gov/Recycling.

GRAY YARD WASTE CART*

Remove all decorations lights, hangers, wires, candles and other non-organic material before placing natural items in the gray yard waste cart:

• Wreaths
• Poinsettias
• Garland
• Holly
• Pumpkins
• Gourds

CHRISTMAS TREES*

• Natural Christmas Trees: Remove all lights and decorations. Place at the curb on your regular collection day. Natural trees will be composted at the city’s composting facility.
• Artificial Christmas Trees: Break down artificial trees and place them next to your green trash cart at the curb on your regular collection day. Artificial trees in good condition can be donated to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Visit LexHabitat.org/ReStore for details.

ELECTRONIC WASTE

Recycle eWaste at the Electronics Recycling Center located at 1306 Versailles Rd. This service is free for Fayette County residents. No businesses or organizations, please. Visit LexingtonKY.gov/eWaste for hours and a complete list of acceptable items. Common holiday eWaste includes:

• Holiday string lights
• Televisions
• Computers
• Hand-held games
• Game consoles
• Cell phones

Never place eWaste in the blue recycling cart.

REDUCE YOUR HOLIDAY WASTE

Recycling and composting reduces waste heading to landfills but still required energy and resources. Reducing your overall waste is even better. Use less this holiday season with these tips:

• Give unwanted items in good condition a second life by donating them. Find a local organization near you at lexingtongreenguide.com. This guide was developed by a group in the Citizens' Environmental Academy.
• Use a reusable shopping bag.
• Reuse gift boxes and gift bags.
• Purchase items with less packaging and packaging that is recyclable in Lexington.
• Use old newsprint, gift bags, and catalogs instead of purchasing new wrapping paper.
• Give rechargeable batteries with gifts that requires batteries.
• Give experiences, not things.

*These services are available for homes with city waste collection services. If your home is not serviced by city waste collection, contact your private hauler for more information regarding different waste services. 

311 Alerts is a system that allows residents to sign up for text or email notifications about city services and programs.

Citizens may register to receive notifications for:

• Curbside waste collection schedule changes due to holidays or weather
• Vacuum leaf collection dates and schedule
• Special collection events such as Household Hazardous Waste Collections and Paper Shred
• Volunteer events such as Reforest the Bluegrass and River Sweep.
• Alerts when conditions are right for sanitary sewer overflows. 

Visit LexingtonKY.gov/ 311alerts or register through the LexCall app for Android and iPhone. Select which notifications you’d like to receive, choose text or email notifications and provide your contact information.

To register for text and email notifications, complete the form twice – once for each method of communication. You may choose to receive different notifications by text than by email.

When pet waste is left on lawns, trails or sidewalks, rain washes it into the city’s storm drains that lead straight to our local streams.

What can I do to help?

• Always pick up your pet’s waste.
• Carry a plastic bag when walking your pet so that you can dispose of pet waste properly.  Some parks have pet waste stations with bags and trash cans that you can use.
• Pet waste should be bagged and put in the green trash cart, not the blue recycling cart or the gray yard waste cart.
• DO NOT compost or use pet waste as a garden fertilizer.

LEARN MORE

Share your Acts of Green on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag them #LexGoGreen to show others what they can do. Acts of Green can be big or small:

• Plan a neighborhood clean up. Register with Keep Lexington Beautiful.
• Plant a tree. Learn where to plant certain trees and what trees do well in Kentucky.
• Paint a storm drain to raise awareness of water quality. Learn how.
• Pick up after your pets on walks and in your yard to prevent pet waste from entering local streams through storm drains.

• Fall 2018
• Spring 2018
• Fall 2017
• Spring 2017
• Fall 2016