Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recycling Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Department says new recycling partner is keeping processing in county; downtown recycling shows high liquid contamination
Summary
Nashville Waste Services told the Solid Waste Subcommittee it moved to a new recycling partner on May 31 and is now keeping more processing and source-separated materials in county; staff said they will supply required data next month while warning that a downtown waste audit found nearly 70% of downtown curbside material by volume was liquid, creating contamination and collection challenges.
Nashville Waste Services told the Solid Waste Subcommittee the department ended an emergency purchase order arrangement and, as of May 31, is working with a new recycling partner that gives the city more control over its materials and better returns.
"As of May 31st, we are now with a new partner and have a lot more control over our materials," Matt Purvis said. He said the department is already seeing savings but has not finalized exact figures and will provide a full cost breakdown next month as required by code.
Purvis said the department is keeping single-stream curbside materials at a local facility rather than shipping them out of county, and that source-separated material from drop-off sites will be marketed directly to buyers. He highlighted that glass pricing has improved under the new arrangement and that paper and cardboard valuations are better with a local WestRock facility handling commercial materials.
Committee members pressed the department on which materials the new partner can accept and whether accepting additional plastics is possible; Purvis said the department is in discussions and that some partner processing facilities are in the region (he named a facility in Old Hickory near 3M).
The meeting also covered an unusual contamination issue in downtown curbside recycling: the department’s waste audit found that nearly 70% of downtown collection material by volume was liquid (leftover beverages, ice, drains), creating overflow and processing challenges. "From downtown, we know that almost 70% of our material is liquid," Purvis said, noting the downtown composition differed markedly from peer cities.
The department committed to provide the audit data and a more detailed accounting of processing locations and material valuations at the next subcommittee meeting.
Next steps: Nashville Waste Services will deliver the requested data next month and will report back on what additional materials the new partner can accept and whether local processing is being done entirely within county facilities.
