By early 2020, city officials said Metro Nashville Public Works will increase its curbside recycling to every two weeks instead of once per month. The grants—$2.3 million from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and $506,000 from nonprofit The Recycling Partnership and beauty brand Love Beauty and Planet—will fund 16 additional collection vehicles and provide 8,000 more recycling carts for residents. The Recycling Partnership will also implement an educational outreach campaign on how to participate in curbside recycling.
Every household that currently receives curbside recycling will see an increase in pickup, according to MNPW Assistant Director Sharon Smith. The MNPW curbside recycling program is provided to single-family homes in Metro Nashville’s urban services district, a coverage area that excludes the outermost areas of the county and satellite cities.
Residents who participate in the program can recycle plastic bottles and containers, aluminum and metal cans, paper and broken down boxes. Glass products, while prohibited in curbside recycling, can be dropped off at all four recycling convenience centers and most of Metro Nashville’s 12 recycling facilities.
TDEC Deputy Commissioner Greg Young said the grants will help Metro Nashville maintain a steady supply of clean recovered materials. During fiscal year 2017-18, Nashville recycled 25 percent of overall waste according to MNPW.
“Our mission is really to protect, improve and promote health and environmental quality throughout the state,” Young said. “One way we carry this out is providing these types of grants to encourage reduction of landfill waste and reuse of recovered materials.”