Chattanooga’s Public Works Department is increasing pickups for brush and recycling and promising to save money while doing it.
“We’re becoming more economically and environmentally responsible,” said Mayor Ron Littlefield, who made the announcements Tuesday at the John F. Germ Recycling Center at Orange Grove Center.
Mr. Littlefield announced that, instead of once a month, the city will collect recycling biweekly, starting in September, he said. Rather than monthly pickup, brush can be collected daily starting in July, he said. In both cases, however, residents must call first.
Starting in August, about 18,000 residents in Chattanooga will get a new garbage day, the mayor said, and notifications for the new garbage pickup schedule will be issued in July, he said.
He said he expects the changes to save between $750,000 and $1 million a year.
Twenty-first Century Neighborhood Association president Bill Eiselstein said he appreciates the mayor’s efforts, but he would like to see mandatory recycling.
“My strong opinion would be to make it mandatory for everybody,” he said.
He said making recycling mandatory would be more cost effective because more people would participate.
Residents who want recyclables picked up are expected to call 643-JOIN or register online at www.recycleright.org to sign up, the mayor said, even if they already have been recycling.
Instead of sending trucks to every community for brush pickup, those who want brush collected are expected to call 311, he said.
Garbage pickup days are being reset because some members of the Public Works Department have been rescheduled from a four-day work week to five days, Mr. Littlefield said.
“This is an exciting time for Chattanooga,” he said. “We’re going to be making changes.”
A lot of money was being wasted because city trucks were sent to collect brush and recyclables in areas where they were not needed, the mayor said.
Yolanda Putman has been a reporter at the Times Free Press for 11 years. She covers housing and previously covered education and crime. Yolanda is a Chattanooga native who has a master’s degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Alabama State University. She previously worked at the Lima (Ohio) News. She enjoys running, reading and writing and is the mother of one son, Tyreese. She has also ...
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