How to Recycle Your Christmas Trees in Lexington
To recycle natural Christmas trees in Lexington: remove all lights and decorations, and place them at the curb on your regular collection day. Trees will be picked up January 3-28. Natural trees will be
composted at the city’s composting facility.
Natural wreaths and garland, with all wires and decorations removed, can be placed in your grey yard cart.
Holiday Light Collection Drive
From November 26, 2021 through January 16, 2022, residents can drop off broken or unwanted holiday lights, including string lights, rope lights and electric candles at partner collection sites throughout the city. Other items that can be dropped off include extension cords, timers, light sensors, power strips and other small electronics.
Electronics, including holiday lights, should never go in recycling carts or recycling dumpsters. They cause damage to equipment at the Recycle Center and put employees at risk.
The business drop off locations for this year’s holiday light collection drive will be announced in mid-November.
Lights and other electronics can be taken directly to the Electronics Recycling Center year-round. The center is located at 1306 Versailles Road. Visit LexingtonKY.gov/eWaste for hours of operation.
Holiday Trash for your Herbies, not your Rosie
In Lexington, these items go in your green Herbie Curbie trash cart, never in your blue Rosie Recycling bin:
- Wrapping paper
- Tissue paper
- Greeting cards and envelopes
- Gift boxes (reuse if possible!)
- Padded envelopes
- Sticker sheets
- Catalogs
- Paper bags and gift bags
- Ribbons, bows and string
- Bubble wrap and air pillows
- Plastic packaging
- Plastic bags, cellophane, and film
- Musical greeting cards
Prevent Frozen Pipes
Frozen water lines typically occur in areas such as crawl spaces or along the outside walls where unprotected plumbing tends to be more vulnerable to the elements. Here’s a few simple steps, from Kentucky American Water, to prevent your home’s water pipes from freezing this winter:
- Disconnect garden hoses from your home. If you have an irrigation system, make sure it is turned off and drained.
- Search your house for un-insulated water pipes, especially in unheated areas. Check attics, crawl spaces, and outside walls. Consider wrapping pipes with insulation sleeves. Another option is electric heating tape but follow manufacturers’ instructions carefully to avoid a fire hazard.
- Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations with caulking to keep cold air away from pipes
- Drain and shut off entirely the water to any unoccupied residence such as a summer or vacation home. A loss of power during a winter storm could cause pipes to freeze.
- Set the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees if you’re going out of town. Although you may be able to get away with a lower temperature, this setting is safe for pipes.
- When below-freezing temperatures occur, keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets supplied by pipes that run through unheated or unprotected spaces. This will help prevent the water in pipes from freezing.
- Keep kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
- Make sure you know where your main water shut-off valve is located inside your home so that you can shut off your water quickly in the event of a water pipe leak. This valve is often located in a utility room, closet or in the basement or crawlspace.
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This also appears on pages 20 and 21 of the December 2021 print edition of Hamburg Journal.
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