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$1.8 million grant helps expand Lexington’s recycling program

Thanks to an EPA grant, more plastics will be able to be recycled in Lexington, but not until 2026.

A conveyor belt carries plastic and paper trash through a facility. It crosses other blue and yellow belts.

What we want to convey is, it’s not that complicated.

Photo via the City of Lexington

Thanks to a $2.4 million statewide grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more plastics will be accepted in your recycling bin...eventually.

Lexington received $1.8 million of the EPA grant, which will be used to purchase new equipment that can better sort recycled items.

“The federal funding allows us to purchase additional equipment, including a duel eject optical sorter, a robotic arm, conveyors, and a compressor,” said Tracey Thurman, Director of Waste Management.

Mayor Linda Gorton added, “With the new equipment, we will be able to recycle polypropylene, the second most widely produced commodity plastic.”

But hold on to your bottles, because the changes won’t be in place until around 2026. When it does happen, the list of acceptable plastics will include yogurt containers, butter tubs, and other similar plastics.

Be sure to consult our recycling guide before tossing items in your blue bin.

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