CHATTANOOGA, TN – Beginning October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the City
of Chattanooga will launch two new recycle pilot programs aimed at reducing
landfill waste and promoting responsible recycling. In partnership with
NewTerra Composting and Overlooked Materials, the city will offer curbside
food waste composting and glass recycling collection to select residents,
with the initial rollout focused primarily in the Brainerd area.
These pilot programs are designed to address two major contributors to
landfill waste:
-
Food waste, which accounts for almost 25% of landfill content and
is the third
largest source of methane emissions nationwide.(source
<https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/methane-emissions>)
-
Glass, 90% of which ends up in landfills, despite being fully recyclable
and locally reusable in construction, stormwater management, tile
production, and more. The-50-States-of-Recycling-2.pdf
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GnfOGXj8ktpB-i_YvMCDDSfOC7ePnqCM/view?usp=drive_link>
About the Programs
The program's partners, NewTerra Compost and Overlooked Materials, will
play key roles in these pilots and all materials will be processed locally.
Food scraps collected through the program will be processed by NewTerra
Compost, creating healthy, nutrient-rich soil that can be used by local
farms, community gardens, and schools. Overlooked Materials will recycle
the glass, converting the glass to sand and gravel which can be used
locally. These local uses reduce our need to mine our region’s mountains,
create more circular products, and reduce the burden on our landfills.
New Terra Compost, a locally owned and operated business, will lead the
food waste collection program. The company specializes in turning food
scraps into nutrient-rich compost, helping to divert organic material from
landfills while enriching local soil. To sign up for the curbside
composting program, visit the following link: Curbside Trial
<https://www.newterracompost.com/chattanooga-curbside-compost-trial>
In addition to curbside pickup in the pilot area, a drop-off kiosk will
also be installed at each of Chattanooga’s five recycling centers,
accessible to all residents within city limits. Residents interested in
dropping their own compostable materials off at one of the City’s recycling
centers <https://chattanooga.gov/services/waste-recycling/recycling> may
sign up here: City Kiosk Trial
<https://www.newterracompost.com/chattanoga-kiosk-trial>
Overlooked Materials, a Chattanooga-based recycling and circular products
company, will lead the curbside glass recycling program. They specialize in
recycling hard-to-process materials like glass and transforming them into
useful products. To sign up for the curbside glass recycling program, visit
the following link: Curbside Glass Pilot
<https://overlookedmaterials.com/pilot>
The composting program is being funded through a Organics Management grant
from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)’s
Division of Solid Waste Management.
How to Participate
Participation in both pilot programs is voluntary and requires sign-up
directly through the partner organizations’ websites. Participation is only
open to residents. Businesses are not eligible.
-
New Terra Composting: Learn more about the curbside program and sign up
at this link:
https://www.newterracompost.com/chattanooga-curbside-compost-trial
-
Overlooked Materials: Learn more about the program and sign up at
https://overlookedmaterials.com/pilot. For questions, email
chattanoogapilot@overlookedmaterials.com
Participants in the program will receive specific instructions and
dedicated containers for separating their food and glass waste upon
enrollment. This effort highlights how local solutions and partnerships can
have a powerful, positive impact on our community, our economy, and our
environment.
The pilot programs will initially serve residents in the following
neighborhoods:
-
Zone 1 - [Within Belvoir Neighborhood Area]
-
Zone 2 - [Within Brainerd Neighborhood Area]
-
Kiosk Composting - [Citywide]
About Department of Public Works:
The Department of Public Works delivers a variety of services that
Chattanooga's citizens rely on daily. Responsibilities include the design,
construction and maintenance of the City's infrastructure; the interceptor
sewer system; the City's stormwater system; the collection and disposal of
garbage, brush, recycling, and household hazardous waste; parks
maintenance, programming and operations. Follow @CHAPublicWorks on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/CHAPublicWorks/> and
<https://twitter.com/CHAPublicWorks>Instagram.
<https://www.instagram.com/chapublicworks/>
Image
Image
