Solid Waste staff: new pickup schedule rolls out in February; department cites high service rate and $2M-plus grant
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Summary
Matt Purvis told the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee that a new collection schedule affecting about 60% of recycling customers will begin in February; the department described extensive outreach, contingency plans and a $2 million-plus federal grant for recycling equipment.
Matt Purvis, a Solid Waste staff member, told the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee that a new collection schedule will begin in about two weeks and will change the pickup day for roughly 60% of recycling customers by February. "By now, I hope I've run my voice ragged... 60% of our trash from recycling customers in USD will have a new pickup day by February," Purvis said.
Purvis urged residents to check Metro’s online lookup tool to confirm their new day and described the department’s outreach campaign: mailed postcards, an app calendar update, 96,000 stickers placed on carts for customers whose day is changing, messaging on water bills, WIGO buses, social media and a collaboration with the Tennessee Titans. He said the hub team and drivers are prepared for launch, and that overflow and call‑out trucks will be staged to respond to missed pickups.
Purvis presented the department’s recent performance figures, saying the system’s overall service rate for December–January averaged 99.87% and that the operation was seeing fewer than 200 missed collections per week out of about 144,000 customers. He said average turnaround for reported missed pickups is about two days, and for routes Metro operates directly (rather than via contractors) misses are being handled in less than 24 hours. "So our turnaround time is even better," Purvis said.
He also said the department added 82 recycling customers since last month and that, despite growth in trash customers, the fleet is "fuel neutral" compared with the prior year because of routing improvements. Purvis announced a forthcoming request for proposals for the recycling contract and said the department had been selected for a federal, no‑match recycling equipment award: "We received a $2,000,000‑plus Swiffer grant," he said, adding the funding will be used for recycling equipment once it is received.
Purvis closed by setting expectations that there will be a short period of confusion during the transition and asked councilmembers to help spread the word. The department said it will continue outreach and monitor operations closely during the rollout.
Next steps: the new schedule goes into effect in two weeks, the department will issue an RFP for recycling services in the coming week, and the grant paperwork will be presented to the council in February for approval where required.
