Trash and recycling pickup in Lexington: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Waste Management pages.

The city’s Division of Waste Management picks up trash, recycling and yard waste at homes with city waste collection across Fayette County. Each home gets a green cart for trash, a blue cart for recycling and a gray cart for yard waste, and all three are generally collected on the same day, according to the city’s waste collection page.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new or replacement cart, bulky item pickup: LexCall, 311 or 859-425-2255, or submit a service request online
• Waste Management office: 675 Byrd Thurman Drive, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 859-425-2255, wastemanagement@lexingtonky.gov
• Holiday and weather alerts: LexCall 311 alerts, by text or email
• Official page: Waste collection

What day is my pickup?

Collection days differ across the urban county. Type your address into the LexFind box on the city’s waste collection page to see your day, or call LexCall. The day shown applies only to homes with city collection; some neighborhoods and apartment complexes use a private hauler, whose days may differ.

The city’s setout rules:

• Carts go out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before and no later than 5 a.m. on collection day.
• Bring them in by 7 p.m. on collection day.
• Keep carts 3 feet from each other and from parked cars and mailboxes, with handles facing the house.
• Trash in the green cart must be bagged. A cart over 200 pounds, the point where it will not roll, is left behind.
• Extra bagged trash can sit beside the cart. A separate overflow truck collects it, sometimes later in the day.

Holiday schedule

When a holiday cancels collection, the city runs a makeup day, and the city notes that for most holidays the makeup day comes before the holiday. The remaining 2026 dates, from the Waste Management holiday table:

If your regular day is Thursday or Friday, Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks mean the carts go out early, by 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Recycling: what goes in the blue cart

The city asks for recycling that is loose, dry and clean, never in a plastic bag. Per the About recycling page, the blue cart takes only:

• Aluminum and steel cans, and metal canisters
• Plastic bottles, jugs and jars marked #1 and #2, with the caps on
• Dry cardboard and box board, including pizza boxes with the greasy parts torn off
• Office paper, magazines, newspaper, envelopes and paper grocery bags
• Milk, juice, broth and soup cartons
• Glass bottles and jars, clear and colored

Keep out plastic bags and film (Kroger and Meijer stores take bags), shredded paper, electronics and batteries, foam containers, clothing, hoses and Pyrex or plate glass.

Yard waste

The gray cart is for yard waste only, loose and never bagged, according to the yard waste page. Sticks in the cart must be under 4 feet long and 6 inches across. Branches beside the cart must be tied with twine in bundles under 4 feet and 50 pounds. Pumpkins and plant-based wreaths can go in once wires and candles are removed. Food scraps go in the green cart, not the gray one. Christmas trees, stripped of lights and tinsel, are picked up on your regular day after the holiday through mid-January.

Bulky items, appliances and tires

Bulky item pickup is free for homes with city collection.

• Mattresses, box springs and furniture: set them flat beside your carts on collection day. No call needed.
• Appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters and window air conditioners: schedule a pickup with LexCall. Take the doors off refrigerators and freezers.
• Tires: up to four car or small truck tires a week, off the rims, by request through LexCall.
• Grills: at the curb with charcoal and gas tanks removed.

Pickups are normally made within five business days of a request. TVs, computers, microwaves and other electronics are not collected at the curb; Fayette County residents can recycle them free at the Electronics Recycling Center, 1306 Versailles Road.

Hazardous waste and drop-off days

The next household hazardous waste collection is 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1631 Old Frankfort Pike (enter via Jimmie Campbell Drive). It is free for Fayette County residents and takes paints, cleaners, oils, pesticides and batteries; electronics go in a separate line. The city asks residents to fill out a survey before they come.

The city also holds a free trash disposal day four times a year, in January, April, July and October, at the Bluegrass Regional Transfer Station, 1505 Old Frankfort Pike. The October day was Saturday, Oct. 10. A Fayette County driver’s license or ID with a Lexington address is required, and loads must fit in a tarped truck bed.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Lexington? It depends on your address. Use LexFind on the city’s waste collection page or call LexCall at 311 or 859-425-2255.

Does pickup change on holidays? Yes. For most holidays the makeup day comes before the holiday: Thanksgiving week’s Thursday and Friday routes are collected Wednesday, Nov. 25.

How do I get rid of a mattress? Lay it flat beside your carts on your regular collection day. It is free for homes with city collection.

What this means for you

• Look up your day once on LexFind, then sign up for LexCall alerts so holiday changes reach you.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks: Thursday and Friday carts go out a day or two early, on Wednesday.
• Mattresses go out with the carts; appliances and tires need a LexCall request first.
• Hold paint and chemicals for Saturday, Oct. 17, at Old Frankfort Pike.

More city services: who to call at City Hall and property taxes.