Downtown Knoxville trash issues are piling up. Is it time for an overhaul?

Ryan Wilusz
Knoxville News Sentinel
  • Knoxville City Council approved $52,200 for trash and recycling consulting services.
  • Downtown trash pickup has increased from four times per week to seven days per week, with two pickups on Fridays and Saturdays.
  • An increase in "major users" like restaurants have resulted in more trash − an estimated 4.2 million pounds per year.
  • Consultants could examine infrastructure in other cities, including in-ground dumpsters and compacters.

Even in the city that invented the dumpster, downtown trash is a problem.

Knoxville has a collection system in place, but the city realizes that system might not work if downtown continues to grow as expected − at least, not with existing resources.

Knoxville City Council approved a resolution Tuesday to give MidAtlantic Solid Waste Consultants $52,200 to come up with a plan for handling downtown trash smarter.

While the Florida-based consultants have worked on a brush collection evaluation in Sevierville and a sanitation study in Kingsport, downtown Knoxville has its own unique challenges.

Trash is increasing in downtown Knoxville

How trash has changed: When Public Service Director Chad Weth started with the city 13 years ago, he told Knox News, downtown trash was picked up four days each week. Service has since extended to seven days each week, with two pickups on Fridays and Saturdays.

Explaining the increase: Weth said an increase in "major users" is partially to blame. Law offices don't use as much trash as a restaurant, for example, and the number of dining spots has dramatically increased over the past 10 years.

In the past four years, alone, downtown restaurants have increased from 75+ in one square mile to 90+, according to Visit Knoxville.

Measuring trash: The downtown area is home to roughly 500 "toters" − 330 carts for garbage and 175 for recycling, according to the city. A handful of corrals, like the one at the corner of Wall Avenue and Gay Street, can hold between 10 and 20 carts. The city also has standalone trash and recycling bins on high-traffic sidewalks.

Trash bags fill a trash can in Strong Alley near Market Square on Tuesday. The city has allocated $52,200 to have outside consultants come up with recommendations for better handling downtown trash by examining how the city currently collects, meeting with stakeholders and reviewing how other cities across the country manage waste.

Two city employees collect trash seven days a week. Using a September-to-November trash audit, Weth estimates the city collects roughly 4.2 million pounds of trash and 1.75 million pounds of recycling from downtown in a year.

Where trash goes: In addition to being housed in corrals, trash carts are located along buildings and in alleys. Some are located in alcoves and "storage cages," according to the city, and some businesses without much food waste simply pile trash bags at the curb.

Some problems Knoxville restaurants are facing

An average trash day for restaurants: Matt Gallaher, owner of Emilia on Market Square, said his workers bring trash from the restaurant to the nearby corral on Wall Avenue using Strong Alley (aka the graffiti alley). This happens before the restaurant opens and at the end of the night.

But the alley is sometimes blocked by vehicles, Gallaher said, which means workers must try to squeeze by or simply wait until vehicles move.

Another downtown issue: Brian Strutz, co-owner of A Dopo and a partner in Potchke, said his businesses deal with people stealing bins. Weth said recycling bins are more popular because they typically are cleaner, but this isn't a top issue that needs solving.

Still, Strutz said, cables have been attached to bins at Potchke to avoid theft.

How Knoxville residents, businesses could be impacted

Whose trash is handled: The city does not charge downtown residents and businesses for pickup, Weth said, though he would consider returning to a fee system for businesses (more on that, below).

But fees have proven too hard to manage, as the city's business community has grown quickly, and more mixed-use developments have caused an additional dilemma: "Some restaurants are using residential carts, which some residents don't like," Weth said, because restaurant trash can be messier than residential trash.

The non-downtown model: Non-downtown city residents have free weekly trash collection, while non-downtown businesses are responsible for finding a collection company. But a weekly system can't work with limited space for trash downtown.

Some downtown businesses might have different standards, Weth said, and the city feels responsible to regularly pick up downtown trash to maintain a clean and welcoming environment.

Knoxville residents can drop off recycling at this downtown collection center beneath James White Parkway at 227 Willow Ave. A city employee also collects recycling from downtown businesses seven days a week.

Possible solutions: Weth has seen modern solutions work in other cities, including a grid system that assigns businesses to certain bins. Some cities have in-ground dumpsters that can hold trash for twice as long, he said, and some downtowns have fenced-off compacters.

The city is working to purchase a parking lot behind Embassy Suites on Gay Street that could house a trash compactor in the short term. But ultimately, the consulting services will help find a path forward.

Ryan Wilusz, downtown reporter and urban explorer for Knox News, can be reached at 865-317-5138 or by email at ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Follow Ryan's work on Instagram @KnoxScruff, and sign up for the free, weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter. Unlock premium perks and support strong local journalism at knoxnews.com/subscribe.