Tennesseans throw away more than 2,000 pounds of trash, on average, every year, and the dumping grounds for this waste are shrinking. Some companies are trying to make a profit with new facilities.
The Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro is the dumping ground for about a third of Tennessee counties, and officials claim it is running out of space fast. Some towns are looking for other options.
Metro Nashville has hired additional help to pick up trash due to the city’s ongoing struggles with its current waste contractor, Red River Waste Solutions.
Metro Nashville halted recycling in December following staff shortages that affected trash pickup for several weeks, but the city will resume curbside recycling Feb. 1.
Metro Public Works is taking back trash pickup duties from a contractor that has struggled to complete its routes in recent months. The agency says Red River Waste Solutions will continue to run trash routes but in a more limited zone.
Listen Despite hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of deliberations, Rutherford County has made little progress on deciding what it will do when Middle Point Landfill closes.