During Chattanooga’s Startup Week, the traditional sales pitch is reversed and entrepreneurs are pitched a problem to solve. Next month during Startup Week, the city of Chattanooga is making the reverse pitch to help find solutions to its ongoing challenge of recycling wastes. “Recycling and waste management processes are overdue for innovation,” said Christine DiPietro, director of programs for CO.LAB, the small business accelerator that coordinates Chattanooga’s Startup Week. “This is a great opportunity to test ideas and see what works in our city.”
Chattanooga was forced to temporarily suspend its curbside recycling program in late July due to a shortage of drivers. To address the driver shortage, Mayor Tim Kelly included $30 million in pay increases for city employees in the city budget that City Council adopted Tuesday, boosting the pay for collection drivers by more than 40%. The city plans to fill its remaining driver vacancies and resume regular recycling pickup in October.
In the meantime, city officials are eager to find ways to improve the city’s recycling processes to make them more efficient and effective, including working with entrepreneurs for innovative solutions. Working with CO.LAB, the city is seeking ideas to test out better recycling approaches through the Sustainability and Recycling Pitch and Pilot Competition next month.