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workers. The cart distribution Rachel Butzler, the City’s Solid Waste The new garbage carts must be placed
requires thorough pre-planning and Manager, said most U.S. cities have moved free of obstacles, due to the mechanized
commitment, but Weth encourages to collection systems with standardized hoisting and dumping of the carts, and
peer cities who haven’t modernized carts. Residents set out the new carts for the carts also must not block traffic, mail
their garbage collection operations to garbage collection for the first time on service or sidewalks or cause a safety
consider doing so. Monday, Jan. 2. issue. So to explain how to best use the
new garbage carts, Butzler’s office did
“It’s critically important to have an “Some people expressed some extensive outreach communications.
accurate, up-to-date address list,” he said. reluctance to move to the standardized
“Even if your database is current and your carts when we announced it,” she said. The carts came delivered with a flyer
folks have invested hours and hours in “Some felt they might be too big to attached to the handle that explained how
maintaining and updating it, there still maneuver. Others were concerned that to use the cart, how to handle bulky waste
will be a few hundred cases where you’ll one receptacle might not hold a week’s and what to do with old garbage cans.
need to revisit an address and make an worth of trash. Officials met with neighborhood groups
adjustment. and provided demonstrations. Mayor
“But now that we’re actually operational Madeline Rogero held a press conference,
“So just know going in that resolving with the new collection procedures, the where the benefits of the new carts
discrepancies with individual properties large majority of Knoxville residents have were detailed, and Waste Connections
will require some time and patience at found the wheeled carts to be easy to demonstrated how the trucks hoisted the
the start – but in the end, most cities maneuver and large enough to easily hold carts and cleanly dumped the contents.
will conclude that it was more than a family’s weekly garbage.” Butzler and Weth did waves of media
worthwhile. It’s a huge plus. Cities that do interviews and were guests on television
this will be pleased to have modernized Knoxville officials tried to limit the news shows.
their operations while saving significant changes to just the new carts. The day
taxpayer dollars.” of neighborhoods’ garbage pickup did Additionally, as a way to reach out
not change, and residents were asked to to residents, a new blog – Cart Smart –
The new 95-gallon trash carts are continue to take the cart to their usual was created on the City’s website to give
similar in size and appearance to the collection location, with the wheels updates on the collection of garbage
City of Knoxville’s existing curbside toward the residence. and recyclables. And the City invited
recycling receptacles, but the two carts are questions and feedback, directing
differentiated by color to avoid confusion. The City’s back-door garbage service residents to call the City’s 311 Call Center
The recycling carts are brown; the trash didn’t change. Back-door service is or visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/garbage.
carts are charcoal gray. offered to those 75 years of age or older or
those with a medical need.
View online at tnpublicworks.com 19
