MI2 Partners with Warren County to Expand Aluminum Recycling

On July 9, 2026, MI2 presented to the Warren County Fiscal Court alongside Warren County Parks and Recreation to launch a new aluminum recycling initiative. MI2 Sustainability Project Coordinator Laura Haury and Chris Kummer walked the court through why Kentucky needs to recover more aluminum, and how a new state grant will help Warren County do it.

The numbers make the case. Kentucky's primary metals industry supports 96,300 jobs and generates $37.8 billion in annual economic output, with average wages 54% above the state's private-sector average. However, a study from Ball estimates Kentucky recycles only 15% of aluminum cans, compared to a 43% national average. That gap matters directly to manufacturers. Every can that ends up in a landfill instead of a furnace is scrap Kentucky manufacturers have to replace with imported raw material.

To close that gap, MI2 applied for and received a grant through the Kentucky Pride Fund on behalf of Warren County Parks and Recreation. The grant covers roughly $11,000 for recycling equipment and is one of 68 projects funded statewide for municipalities, universities, and fiscal courts. Warren County will use the funds to place 10 60-gallon aluminum recycling bins across county parks, along with one recycling trailer that will rotate between parks on a set schedule for aluminum beverage can drop-off. Proceeds from the collected aluminum will go to Friends of Warren County Parks.

AKFA is the first MI2 member to support this specific grant; making the project possible. AKFA's support reflects a point MI2 made directly to the fiscal court: recycling infrastructure is not just an environmental project, it is an economic one. More recovered aluminum staying in Kentucky means more scrap available to the state's manufacturers and less reliance on imported material.

The Warren County Fiscal Court has embraced the initiative, and MI2 plans to build on it. This partnership model, pairing a local government host with an MI2 member sponsor, gives MI2 a repeatable template for expanding recycling access across more Kentucky counties. The goal is straightforward: make it easier for people to recycle aluminum, collect more of the scrap the industry needs, and grow public awareness of why it matters.

Watch the full presentation to the Warren County Fiscal Court found at the 24 minute mark.