Here’s how to recycle in Nashville without curbside pickup

Curbside recycling is on hold in Nashville until further notice. Trucks are being diverted to the more critical need of trash pickup. But residents are being asked not to simply throw away their cardboard and aluminum cans since that will just make more trash. For many, hauling their own recycling is a new experience.

There are parts of Davidson County, in what’s known as the general services district, where taking recycling to a collection center has been standard procedure. But for the more populated urban areas, where curbside has been available for decades, this is new. And Sharon Smith of Metro’s Waste Division says it’s not like the big green rolling carts where everything goes in together.

“It’ll be a little different,” she says. “Cardboard is separate from paper. And then you’ve got your plastic bottles and metal and aluminum cans that can go in together.”

Smith’s division plans to put how-to materials on social media and communicate to residents through councilmembers who send out weekly emails to constituents.

At least one has offered to collect the recycling himself.

Councilmember Freddie O’Connell, whose district stretches from Germantown across downtown and out I-24 to Fesslers Lane, is using campaign money to rent a box truck and offer curbside pickup by request.

“I know we’ve got some elderly residents and some disabled residents and families like ours whose multiple recycling bins are completely full and overflowing at this point,” he says. “I’ve got a little time off around Christmas, so why not pitch in and help some neighbors?”

There is some concern that the city’s 10 recycling centers will be overwhelmed. O’Connell says he’s suggested the nonprofit Hands on Nashville should provide volunteers to help the drop-off sites move more smoothly.

The waste division has committed to changing the large collection bins more often.

“We’re going to have roll-off trucks working three shifts to make sure that the drop-off locations are adequately serviced to make sure nothing is overflowing,” says assistant director John Honeysucker.

But trips to recycling centers could be something Nashville residents have to get used to.

Metro officials have said curbside pickup won’t resume until at least February. And it could be many more months, because they have little confidence that the contractor will turn things around.

In fact, the company, Texas-based Red River Waste Solutions, is bankrupt. City officials say there are no other trash collection companies who can take up the slack right now.