Reducing waste can protect the environment and make our lives easier. Whatever waste we produce must go somewhere, and lessening this load is much easier than responsibly disposing of the waste of a growing population. Understanding the reality of waste management is critical to understanding just what we do each time we open the trashcan. Learning about the waste handling process, remaining conscious of the impacts of the waste we produce, and providing convenient means to recycle are the keys to minimizing our waste load, leaving more – and therefore more affordable – land for housing, recreation, and industry.

What Can You Do?

• Use less.
o Try not to buy things you don’t need while shopping.
• Recycle.
o Many products we throw away won’t decompose in a landfill, but can be recycled into something new.
• Purchase post-consumer recycled goods when possible.
o Recycled goods lessen strain on the environment for new resources.
• Purchase reusable, cloth shopping bags.
o Disposable plastic bags take years to decompose.
• Circulate used clothing.
o Donate or repurpose old clothing, and do not insist on buying everything new.
• Compost.
o Home composting reduces the solid waste load of your home.
o Compost offers a natural, nutrient rich alternative to manufactured fertilizers.


Resources for East Tennessee Residents:

Currently, 22,500 residents participate in the City's Household Recycling Program that began on October 1, 2011. The program provides participants with a cart and biweekly pickup and features no-sort recycling, meaning citizens can simply throw all recyclables in a single bin. This service is available at no additional cost to residents already receiving city trash pickup.


The Knox County Solid Waste Department delivers cost-effective services and provides quality information to help Knox County taxpayers efficiently recycle and dispose of residential waste. This includes managing the Knox County recycling and household waste drop-off centers, providing comprehensive recycling options at the centers, diverting greenwaste away from landfills and making convenient disposal of household hazardous materials available for all Knox County residents.

Waste Connections of Tennessee provides the city's curbside waste and recycling pickup. They offer information on pickup schedules, acceptable waste, alternative disposal for potentially hazardous waste, locations of collection centers, and information and what is and isn't recyclable.

Composting is one common technique for reducing household waste. In 2015, the City's Office of Sustainability completed an Urban Agriculture Zoning Ordinance in an effort to enhance the urban food systems of our area. The document includes advice as well as regulations for safe and sustainable composting.

Keep Knoxville Beautiful a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, was formed jointly in 1978 by our city and county governments. Established to "clean up" prior to the 1982 World's Fair, KKB has endured and grown to truly Keep Knoxville Beautiful through its many programs.