Chattanooga residents now have a simple and new way of recycling food and glass waste. The city has started two pilot programs to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills, something horrible. Both programs started in October and will continue in June of next year.What do they want to achieve with this idea? Well, the goal is to make recycling in Chattanooga cleaner, eco-friendly, and efficient. So, let’s learn more about these programs.

Why food and glass?

Every year, tons of trash end up in landfills of Tennessee and most of it comes from our kitchens and glass containers we throw. According to the city of Chattanooga, food waste represents almost  25% of landfills and it is the third largest source of methane emissions, which is a gas that strongly contributes to climate change.

Glass also represents a huge challenge because, although it can be recycled infinite times, about 90% ends up in landfills. This happens because many times it’s not collected or processed properly. This is because Chattanooga decided to change the way in which it handles these waste.

Who is behind this project?

Two local companies are collaborating with the city to start these programs:

Overlooked Materials: this company is in charge of glass recycling and it collects old bottles and jars to transform them into useful materials, like construction products or soil additives to improve the ground.
NewTerra Compost: this one is in charge of food waste and it collects waste . like fruit peels, coffee grounds, and leftovers, and turn them into compost. Compost is a natural fertilizer that helps plants grow healthy and strong.

How the food program works

Taking part in the food recycling program is very easy and people who join it will receive a special bucket to keep their food waste at home. This is very useful on pickup days since residents place the bucket on the street and NewTerra Compost collects it and leaves it clean in exchange.

Then, the food scraps are taken to a compost site, where they are mixed with wood chips. This helps balance the right amount of carbon and nitrogen — two important ingredients for composting. The mixture is then placed on a concrete area and built into large piles.

Special pipes add air (oxygen) to the piles to help with the composting process. The combination of air, moisture, and organic matter allows tiny living organisms, like bacteria, to break down the food scraps naturally. After some time, the waste turns into rich, healthy compost that can be used in gardens and farms.

Something in exchange

What makes this program so special is that the trash you give is given back to you, but transformed into something useful. People can either receive the compost produced with their own waste, or donate it.

“You get compost that you were part of making,” says Norman Lavoy, co-founder and CEO of NewTerra Compost. “You can use it in your home garden, in flowerpots, or raised beds. And if you don’t need it, we’ll donate it to local schools or community gardens like Girls Preparatory School and Audubon Acres.”

Glass program

Now, let’s talk about the glass program, which is also very easy to use. Overlooked Materials has installed 5 collecting points in the main recycling centers of Chattanooga. People who live in the Belvoir and Brainerd Hills neighborhoods can make the most of the collecting service direct at their homes. So, the rest of the residents can take their bottles and jars to the nearest drop-off stations.

Basically, if you live in Chattanooga and want to take part in this project, you can sign up for food waste composting or glass recycling on the city’s official website. Together, the people of Chattanooga are proving that even small changes — like saving your leftovers or recycling your bottles — can make a big difference for our planet.