New trash law has Nashville residences seeing red

WSVM ^ | 07/01/2011 | WSVM

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nashville has a new trash law and many people don't like it.

Beginning today, you can no longer put grass clippings, twigs or leaves in your trash bin. This includes both private and public trash service in Nashville.

The city said it wants to reduce the amount of material dumped into Nashville's landfill as well as adopt a more environmentally sound waste policy.

But many residents say it's unfair. How are they supposed to get rid of leaves and grass trimmings?

"I don't have a truck. I don't have a way to drop off my yard waste at a Metro convenient center," said Geneva Byrd. "Many older people can't afford to pay someone to do it for them."

This all comes at a time when metro Nashville has reduced brush pick-up to just three days a year per neighborhood.

"It's another way to undercut neighborhoods," said Douglas Jameson. "You watch, if the yard waste doesn't go into trash cans it will be all over the streets and in the culverts."

Public Works said it's just implementing the will of Mayor Karl Dean and the Metro Council.

[Red_Devil 232]

We just pile up our yard waste by the street. Bagging it is frowned on. A county truck cruses the streets looking for yard waste and picks it up. They use a 1.5 to 2 foot diameter vacuum hose to suck up leaves and grass clippings and have a hydraulic claw type thing to pick up the larger tree limbs.

[Mark was here]

Who does the landfill belong to, a private owner or the government?

[don-o]

Here's another one

Natural gas replacement from landfill

I'm not sure what the latest figures are, but the projection was $500k per year to the city from sale of the gas

[Joe Boucher]

Soooo,
Take bags of leaves and dump them on the yards of the fools who passed this b.s. to begin with. Also dump your yard waste on City halls yard.

[airedale]

Sounds like they want everyone to compost all biodegradable yard material. I hope they’ve offered a deal on small composters to the public. It’s not that difficult once you know how and are physically fit. It’ll be a problem for some of the seniors.

Of course it does raise a question does the same non pickup apply to city property including parks (and if the city is controlled by Democrats the homes and properties of city officials).

To save electricity I’ve seen some demands for us to go back to hanging the wash on the line in the yard. That’s next.

[rlmorel]

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE????"

"NOTHING!"

[McGavin999]

Then the city is going to have to send out new bins and have a “compost” pick up once a week. If they don’t want it in the landfills, then they’ll have to compost it and they can cover the costs by selling the compost.

[Obadiah]

I lol! You must be a childhood friend who visited our home often. Too funny. You nailed it.

[BobL]

“But many residents say it’s unfair. How are they supposed to get rid of leaves and grass trimmings? “

How about getting the hell out of the city?

[DesertSapper]

I mulch anything and everything smaller than a 3/4 inch thick branch - and I do it with my mower. None of my leaves, twigs, grass, etc ever make it to any landfill - they all go right back into my lawn.

[hellbender]

That's the answer. Throwing away grass and leaves is a complete waste of a valuable domestic resource. All the nutrients the plants took up and gradually being removed from the yard.

It's also odd that conservatives should be complaining when the govt. curtails a "service" which is unnecessary in the first place.

[DH]

But many residents say it’s unfair. How are they supposed to get rid of leaves and grass trimmings?

---

I’m sure that the Mayor and his ilk have relatives (or special interests) that have new companies formed after (or just before) the new ordinance that will pick up your leaves for a fee.

How convenient??????????????????

Nothing to see here....move along.

[Caipirabob]

DUMP it at the politician’s house.

[wardaddy]

I don’t believe for one second that a college professor found meat from the 1980s in a landfill..maybe fragments like one would a corpse..barely left

but not a wiener

consider the source..college proff...probably environmental studies that sort of thing

if landfills are not decomposing then pray tell why the methane burnoff firepoles on all of them up day and night flaming

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110406102139.htm

[OrangeDaisy]

So a big storm comes and blows a bunch of twigs into my yard. Or I trim my trees and bushes or clean out my flower beds? What am I supposed to do with the stuff? The chipper truck only comes three times a year. Piles of brush encourage rodents and look ugly lying in my front yard. You aren’t supposed to burn debris in Davidson County. I don’t have a truck to haul it somewhere. What are my options?