NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville is overhauling its trash collection system for the first time in more than a decade, with changes affecting about 60% of residents starting next month.
The city's newly restructured Waste Management department, created under Mayor O'Connell, is implementing the most significant route updates in 10 to 15 years. The changes are designed to make the system simpler and more cost-effective for taxpayers.
"About 60% will see a change and about one-third of those are on Mondays, because of course everyone on Monday is changing to a new service day," Foster said.
Under the new system, crews will collect trash four days instead of five. Anyone currently receiving pickup on Monday will move to a Tuesday through Friday schedule.
The overhaul also brings Nashville's waste management into the digital age, replacing paper-based routing with modern technology.
Foster said mailers and stickers will go on mailboxes next week and service changes will start Feb. 2, 2026.
To look up changes for your trash day click here.
"We're going from what was a paper based route before and using technology to update these routes and get those types of time and fuel efficiency savings," Foster said.
Monday will now be reserved for training and for picking up trash when holidays fall later in the week. Crews will use tablets that track service in real time, allowing the department to verify that services are completed.
"They have tablets that they can use to go through and then with those tablets we're able to verify that services happened on them so we're really updating the technology for waste services here," Foster said.
The new routes are expected to save time and fuel costs. The department plans to review the routes annually to keep pace with the city's continued growth.
Have questions about how Nashville's new trash pickup schedule will affect your neighborhood? Watch our full report and share your thoughts with reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com about waste management changes in your area.
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