Revamped Chattanooga Recycling Program to Cost $2.5 Million

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – When Chattanooga approves next year’s budget, they’ll be putting $2.5 million dollars worth of property taxes into their current curbside recycling program.

Lee Norris, Chattanooga’s Public Works Director, says, "This next step of providing house hold containers specifically for recycling will be a major step forward, a major step forward."

Chattanooga will spend the money on new recycling bins, trucks and a new recycling coordinator.

Chattanooga hasn’t seen that position in a decade.

Norris adds, "We have led the way in a lot of things when it comes to being a green city and this is just another effort on part of our administration and our city to take another step forward in that direction."

This new push by Chattanooga’s current administration will also allow the Orange Grove Center to be able to hire ten more people with disabilities.

They’ll be sorting paper, plastic, and glass.

Tera Roberts, the Director of Adult Services at the Orange Grove Center, says, "We appreciate the community’s support and that citizens see that it’s important for orange grove to have such an impact."

The majority of the money made off the recyclables will stay at the Orange Grove Center.

If you’re still feeling the sticker shock from the $2.5 million investment, city leaders say it’s a much better option than having to use tax payer money to fund a landfill.

Norris adds, "Every bit of this material that we recycle does not go in our landfill and that’s important these days. Landfill space is a diminishing resource if you will and as much of the stuff we can divert out of there, the better for all of us."

City leaders want you to call 311 to request a recycling bin.

They’ll be given out in August.

Pick-up will be every other week.

East Ridge already started this same program last year.