We field a lot of questions that start with: “What do I do with…?”. Here we highlight some local resources for recycling items that can’t go in our Lexington curbside bins and might not be listed on the Town’s recycling web page.
Do you know of a reuse or recycling resource not listed here or on the Town’s web page? Please let us know. Email info “at” lexzerowaste.org.
The ReUseIt Network is an on-line forum that serves as a tool to make connections between community members who want to help each other, themselves, and their environment. In a disposable society where many items are discarded long before they have actually outlived their use, The ReUseIt Network helps pass things along from people who have items but don’t want them any longer to people who want them but don’t have them! You can also use the network to Borrow items, e.g., tools, that you might only need for a short period of time.
Gardening Pots and Containers
Grow Native Massachusetts partners with East Jordan Plastics to collect and recycle plastic nursery and garden pots. Keep an eye on their website or social media for this summer’s drop off times and location.
Any color growing container can be recycled with them as long as it’s identifiable by the recycling symbol as one of the following materials: polystyrene (recycling symbol 6), polypropylene (recycling symbol 5) or high-density polyethylene (recycling symbol 2).
There are 9 locations that offer drop boxes for used eye glasses in town. The Lexington Lion’s Club sorts them and pools glasses with Lion’s Clubs across the country so they can be matched to people in need of that prescription!
Plastic bags, wraps, and other films do NOT go in your home recycling bin, even though they display a “recycling” logo. At recycling facilities, they can wrap around machinery, shutting down the sorting line. Workers must then cut the plastic off machines, which puts them at risk of injury.
Instead, recycle these along with all “stretchy” plastic at grocery store drop-off bins.
ALL materials should be clean and dry. If your bags are not completely clean of food residue, they will contaminate the entire batch. This includes removing all stickers, labels, and staples if any exist. Don’t forget to remove receipts as well!
Holiday Lights
You can now drop off your old, unwanted, or broken string lights at the Lexington Composting and Recycling Facility on Hartwell Avenue. Look for two large recycling carts located near the main office. There is also a bin at the Community Center located outside by the front door.
Do not include string lights in your curbside recycling.
Zero Waste Resources
"What do I do with...?"
We field a lot of questions that start with: “What do I do with…?”. Here we highlight some local resources for recycling items that can’t go in our Lexington curbside bins and might not be listed on the Town’s recycling web page.
Do you know of a reuse or recycling resource not listed here or on the Town’s web page? Please let us know. Email info “at” lexzerowaste.org.
Lexington ReUseIt Network
The ReUseIt Network is an on-line forum that serves as a tool to make connections between community members who want to help each other, themselves, and their environment. In a disposable society where many items are discarded long before they have actually outlived their use, The ReUseIt Network helps pass things along from people who have items but don’t want them any longer to people who want them but don’t have them! You can also use the network to Borrow items, e.g., tools, that you might only need for a short period of time.
Gardening Pots and Containers
Grow Native Massachusetts partners with East Jordan Plastics to collect and recycle plastic nursery and garden pots. Keep an eye on their website or social media for this summer’s drop off times and location.
Any color growing container can be recycled with them as long as it’s identifiable by the recycling symbol as one of the following materials: polystyrene (recycling symbol 6), polypropylene (recycling symbol 5) or high-density polyethylene (recycling symbol 2).
https://grownativemass.org/
https://eastjordanplastics.com/project-100-recycling/
Used Eyeglasses
There are 9 locations that offer drop boxes for used eye glasses in town. The Lexington Lion’s Club sorts them and pools glasses with Lion’s Clubs across the country so they can be matched to people in need of that prescription!
http://www.lexingtonlions.org/EyeglassCollections.cfm
Plastic bags, wraps, and other films do NOT go in your home recycling bin, even though they display a “recycling” logo. At recycling facilities, they can wrap around machinery, shutting down the sorting line. Workers must then cut the plastic off machines, which puts them at risk of injury.
Instead, recycle these along with all “stretchy” plastic at grocery store drop-off bins.
ALL materials should be clean and dry. If your bags are not completely clean of food residue, they will contaminate the entire batch. This includes removing all stickers, labels, and staples if any exist. Don’t forget to remove receipts as well!
Holiday Lights
You can now drop off your old, unwanted, or broken string lights at the Lexington Composting and Recycling Facility on Hartwell Avenue. Look for two large recycling carts located near the main office. There is also a bin at the Community Center located outside by the front door.
Do not include string lights in your curbside recycling.