Good Question: Does Lexington sell recycled materials to fund programs?

(WKYT) — For today’s Good Question, Joseph asks: Does Lexington sell the aluminum cans collected through recycling curbside containers to help cover the cost of the government’s recycling program?

Yes, they do. Lauren Monahan with waste management said all recyclables that are collected are sorted into separate commodities at the Lexington Materials Recovery Facility on Thompson Road.

After they are sorted, they sell them to multiple vendors. It’s not the same vendor each month.

She said they bid out the pricing of each material every month, and they will typically sell to the highest bidding company.

That includes local companies that use recyclables to make new products. As an example, aluminum cans are sold to Novelis, located in Berea, or Logan Aluminum in Russellville.

The money made from selling those materials is put back into future programs and investments.

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