Beginning Dec. 1, Knoxville residents will receive the first of 60,000 new wheeled trash carts at no additional charge. The new household additions are key components in modernizing and improving the household garbage collection of the city of Knoxville.

“Going to a citywide system that uses standardized trash receptacles increases the efficiency, safety, health and aesthetic aspects of residential garbage collection,” said Chad Weth, the City’s Public Service Director, in a press release.

For taxpayers, the standardized carts are said to translate into almost $2 million per year in savings on garbage collection. With these new carts the waste contractor, Waste Connections, will be able to use their trucks to dump the trash, helping to cut down on injuries and improve the garbage collectors’ work quality.

These new trash carts are 95 gallons and are similar to the existing curbside recycling bins. The distinct difference between the two is the color, with the recycling carts being brown and the trash carts being charcoal gray.

Garbage pickup day is not expected to change, but the new carts will start being collected on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. Rachel Butzler, the City’s Solid Waste Manager, said that she thinks that because the carts have wheels, people will find them “easy to maneuver and large enough to hold a family’s weekly garbage.”

Residents should continue to leave their garbage carts in the same place for pickup and be cautious about their placement so that they do not block traffic, mail service, sidewalks, or cause safety issues. In addition to a new garbage cart, residents will receive a flyer explaining how to use the cart, how to handle “bulky waste” and what to do with the old garbage carts. Despite the new addition, the back-door garbage service, a service offered to those ages 75 and older or with medical need, will not be interrupted.

You can find updates on the Wheeled Trash Bin Invasion at the city’s Cart Smart blog, knoxvilletn.gov/CartSmart.

Featured Photo courtesy city of Knoxville