Recycling Centers in Louisville, KY
Find drop-off recycling locations in Louisville, Kentucky. View hours, addresses, and phone numbers for each facility.
⭐ Top 5 Recycling Centers in Louisville
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Louisville has 36 recycling centers listed in this directory. Each listing includes the address, phone number, and opening hours where available. Call ahead to confirm accepted materials before making the trip.
Recycling in Louisville: A Local Guide
Louisville Metro Public Works runs curbside recycling for households inside the Urban Services District, and collection happens every other week on an A/B schedule rather than weekly. Residents with city waste service use a 95-gallon recycling cart, which you can request through Metro311 online or by calling 311 or (502) 574-5000. Carts should be set out before 6 a.m. on a recycling week, with items placed loose in the cart and never bagged. The city accepts clean, empty paper, flattened cardboard, cartons, plastic bottles and containers, metal cans and foil, and glass bottles and jars curbside, so Louisville remains one of the cities that still collects glass in the regular cart.
If you live outside the Urban Services District, use a private hauler, or just generate more than fits in a cart, Louisville Metro also maintains free recycling drop-off sites across Jefferson County. Three staffed centers are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: the Southwest Government Center at 7219 Dixie Highway, the Central Government Center at 7201 Outer Loop, and East District Public Works at 595 N. Hubbards Lane. Staffed sites take everything the curbside program does plus used cooking oil, used motor oil and filters, and antifreeze, and staff will help you unload. More than a dozen additional unstaffed drop-off bins sit at fire stations, parks, and community centers throughout the city. You can compare all of these against the private operators in our directory of Louisville recycling centers.
Some materials never belong in a recycling cart. Household hazardous materials such as paint, automotive fluids, batteries, fluorescent and LED bulbs, freon, gasoline, and grill-size propane tanks go to the Haz Bin at 7501 Grade Lane, which is free for Louisville/Jefferson County residents and open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scrap metal and cans can also be sold to commercial buyers in the city, and bulky items, tires, appliances, and yard debris are handled at the Waste Reduction Center on Meriwether Avenue. For centers in the rest of the state, see our Kentucky hub.
All Recycling Centers in Louisville
Recycling Centers in Nearby Cities
Frequently Asked Questions — Recycling in Louisville
Where can I drop off recycling in Louisville, KY?
Louisville Metro operates three staffed recycling drop-off centers open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: the Southwest Government Center (7219 Dixie Highway), the Central Government Center (7201 Outer Loop), and East District Public Works (595 N. Hubbards Lane). More than a dozen unstaffed drop-off bins are also located at fire stations, parks, and community centers around the city. You can browse every public and private option on our list of Louisville recycling centers.
How does the Louisville recycling schedule and curbside program work?
Inside the Urban Services District, Louisville Metro collects recycling every other week on an A/B rotation rather than weekly, so you need to confirm it is a recycling week before setting out your 95-gallon cart by 6 a.m. The city publishes the collection-week calendar and offers the free Recycle Coach app for alerts, and you can request a cart through Metro311 at 311 or (502) 574-5000.
What can and can't go in the Louisville recycling cart?
Louisville accepts empty paper, flattened cardboard, cartons, plastic bottles and containers, metal cans and foil, and glass bottles and jars, all placed loose in the cart. Styrofoam and plastic grocery bags are not accepted curbside; bags can go to participating retail store drop-offs, and clean Styrofoam blocks are taken by Foam Fabricators in New Albany, Indiana. For a full walkthrough of local options, see our guide to Louisville recycling centers.
Where do I take hazardous waste, paint, or where can I recycle cans for money in Louisville?
Household hazardous materials including paint, batteries, automotive fluids, bulbs, freon, and grill-size propane tanks go to the free Haz Bin at 7501 Grade Lane, open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Louisville/Jefferson County residents; note that latex paint and expired medication are not accepted there. To be paid for aluminum cans or scrap metal, use a commercial scrap buyer rather than the Haz Bin, and you can find several listed among the Louisville recycling centers in our directory.