CHATTANOOGA, TN December 22nd, 2025— PILOT PROGRAM INFORMATION UPDATE
What began as a pilot program to divert food and glass waste from the landfill servicing a small test area in Brainerd is eyeing to become a city-wide movement. Although it is not yet citywide, today the City of Chattanooga Department of Public Works announced a major step in that direction bringing sustainable curbside solutions to three new neighborhood zones.
The journey started with a simple goal: to change the fate of the 25% of our landfill content that is actually food waste. By partnering with local innovators NewTerra Composting and Overlooked Materials, the City turned a landfill problem into a local resource. Instead of releasing methane in a trash heap, food scraps are now being transformed into nutrient-rich compost to enrich Tennessee soil. Meanwhile, glass—which is 90% likely to end up in a landfill despite being fully recyclable—is being diverted and reborn as materials for construction and stormwater management.(source <https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/methane-emissions>)
( The-50-States-of-Recycling-2.pdf <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GnfOGXj8ktpB-i_YvMCDDSfOC7ePnqCM/view?usp=drive_link>)
With the program slated to run through June 30, 2026, the City is now inviting a new wave of residents to join the mission. The updated program map shows the initiative stretching its roots into:
- Missionary Ridge Zone 4
- Ridgedale Zone 5
- Highland Park Zone 6
This program is powered by the people. Participation is voluntary and designed to be "Easy, Impactful, and Optional". While businesses are not yet eligible, residents in the pilot zones can sign up today to receive their dedicated collection containers. Compost will be collected weekly and glass will be collected monthly. Your collection dates will be assigned when residents sign up for the program.
Sign up with NewTerra Composting to turn your kitchen scraps into black gold for our local environment. Join the Curbside Trial: newterracompost.com/chattanooga-curbside-compost-trial <https://www.newterracompost.com/chattanooga-curbside-compost-trial>
For the Glass Savers: Join Overlooked Materials to ensure your glass bottles find a second life in our city's infrastructure.
Join the Glass Pilot: overlookedmaterials.com/pilot
For those living outside the new expansion zones, the story doesn't end there—compost drop-off kiosks remain open and accessible to all city residents at Chattanooga’s five recycling centers.