The Recycling Partnership awards recycling grants to Louisville, Kentucky

The Recycling Partnership, Falls Church, Virginia, has announced that Louisville, Kentucky, has been awarded $1,071,000 in grants to increase the city’s recycling collection efforts. The Recycling Partnership reports that the grant was awarded by itself along with the Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC), the Kentucky and American Beverage Association and Unilever’s Love Beauty and Planet brand. The investment will provide funding for 28,000 large, lidded, rolling recycling carts to residents in the city’s Urban Services District using small bins.

According to a news release from The Recycling Partnership, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to improving recycling in the United States, Louisville received this award because of its dedication to advancing recycling in the community. The grant will also fund education and outreach efforts that help residents learn how and what to recycle and the community’s new collection schedule. 

“Thanks to The Recycling Partnership, the Southeast Recycling Development Council, the Waste Management District and all our funders for supporting our efforts to protect the environment and help us move toward the more efficient every other week recycling and yard waste collection system,” says Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “This initiative is an additional tool to our already strong recycling program and reemphasizes our commitment to cleanliness in our city. When our city operates in a resourceful manner, it’s a win-win for everyone.” 

The Recycling Partnership says that the expansion of Louisville’s collection system increases these households’ recycling container capacity by more than five times. The new carts allow for recycling pick-up every other week as opposed to weekly, making the collection more cost-effective. The Recycling Partnership estimates the recycling transformation will yield an additional 3.5 million pounds of recycled content for local producers. 

“Louisville’s commitment to improving its recycling and collection programs demonstrates that positive program transformation builds resiliency, an opportunity the partnership is uniquely positioned to support,” says Cody Marshall, chief community strategy officer at The Recycling Partnership. “We’re proud to support Louisville’s efforts to help households capture more quality recyclables.”

According to The Recycling Partnership, it has overseen the funding of more than 976,000 recycling carts in U.S. communities in seven years. For more information on what can and can’t be recycled in Louisville’s program, click here.