Recycling

Residential Curbside Recycling Program

A residential curbside recycling program is being developed for the City of Paducah.  This program is targeted to start in January 2018.  Currently, staff is working on the operational plan and policy changes to implement curbside recycling.  Public education campaigns are being developed to inform citizens of the recycling program and the changes to the brush and yard waste collection programs.  The program specifics have not been determined; however, there are eight (8) program elements that have been decided. For more information, visit Curbside Recycling.

Recycling Drop-Off Facility Through Freedom Waste

As part of its contract with Freedom Waste Service, the City of Paducah offers a recycling drop point location.  The location is adjacent to Freedom’s transfer station at 400 State Street in Paducah.  The facility is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon.  There is no charge for the general public to drop off recyclables. 

Note:  This facility is closed to the public on the following holidays:  Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Customers can drive through and unload their recyclables by placing them in one of the large blue containers.  Please separate cardboard and place it in the marked bin.  All other accepted recyclables can be placed together in the blue single-stream bins.  Accepted recyclables include pasteboard (which includes cereal and other similar-type boxes), newspapers, magazines, junk mail, phone books, hardback and paperback books, office paper, tin, steel, and aluminum cans, and plastic containers.  Please rinse containers before bringing them to the facility. 

Freedom will not accept electronics, batteries, household hazardous waste, refrigerators, freezers, tires, or glass.

The city-operated temporary recycling location which had been in operaton at 920 Burnett Street closed to the public January 31, 2017.  

Waste Stream Reduction

Through composting, the City of Paducah is reducing the waste stream by more than 23%.  This diversion occurs from the yard waste as well as the biosolids from the wastewater treatment process.  Click Compost Facility for more information about the facility located on North 8th Street and the composting process.  The City of Paducah also offers a corrugated cardboard recycling program for local businesses.  The cardboard is collected and recycled at Republic Services.  This amounts to approximately a 3% reduction in our waste stream.  The combination of these recycling programs amounts to more than a 26% reduction in our waste stream. This surpasses the State's goals for reduction and recycling set in 1997 of 25%.

Dream Green

On June 21, 2011, the Mayor and Commissioners approved a municipal order to support the initiative of a private company, Dream Green, to offer curbside recycling in the City of Paducah and McCracken County. This is a pilot program to generate data regarding the public’s interest in curbside recycling and the feasibility of the process. Subscription to the program is voluntary. Dream Green won the business plan competition through EntrePaducah. Dream Green offers curbside pick-up, or they will come to your door. They will sort the items for you, but please rinse first. Dream Green collects plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum, tin, and e-scrap. They began servicing the City of Paducah and McCracken County in August 2011. For more information about Dream Green, visit their Facebook page, call 270-442-2088, or send them an email. The mailing address is P.O. Box 299, Paducah, Kentucky 42002-0299.

GPS-RecycleNow 

The GPSP (Greater Paducah Sustainability Project) is a local nonprofit organization focused on developing and implementing long term environmentally focused sustainable programs for the greater Paducah/McCracken County area through partnerships between communities, organizations, business, and government.  RecycleNow is the GPS initiative focused on the development and implementation of a long term sustainable recycling program within the City of Paducah and McCracken County with the ultimate goal of leading the Purchase Area’s commitment to the responsible and proper handling of all recyclable materials.   

Christmas Tree Recycling

To dispose of a live Christmas tree, the City of Paducah urges residents to recycle by taking the tree to the Compost Facility located at 1560 North 8th Street during regular business hours. The facility is open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Please remove all lights, garland, and ornaments before taking the tree to the Compost Facility. Residents also can dispose of trees by placing them next to their garbage.

Private Recycling Companies

To find the recycling centers in any Kentucky county (including centers in McCracken County), click Kentucky Division of Waste Management.  Click Recycling Centers to link to a website that allows you to enter your zip code to find recycling centers in your region.  It also provides driving directions.  However, the list of local recycling centers is not as complete as what you will find on the Kentucky Division of Waste Management website.  Below is a summary of the information on the Kentucky Division of Waste Management website.  Please check with the facility for its hours and details of what it accepts.