WASHINGTON (AP) — District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray says he’s “not happy” that more than 5,300 old city-owned trash cans were sent to an incinerator instead of being recycled as promised.

The Washington Post (http://tinyurl.com/l2k2kzf) reports that Gray and city public works director William Howland apologized Wednesday for the botched disposal of the old cans. Howland says he personally ordered city garbage crews to remove the old cans amid complaints that they were crowding alleys. He says they became mangled in compactors and couldn’t be recycled.

Gray’s administration spent $9 million to replace every city trash and recycling receptacle. More than 200,000 new cans were rushed out to city residents just ahead of the April 1 Democratic primary, leaving a glut of unwanted cans. Gray lost his bid for a second term.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

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