Beginning October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the City of Chattanooga will launch two new recycle pilot programs aimed at reducing landfill waste and promoting responsible recycling. In partnership with NewTerra Composting and Overlooked Materials, the city will offer curbside food waste composting and glass recycling collection to select residents,
with the initial rollout focused primarily in the Brainerd area.
These pilot programs are designed to address two major contributors to landfill waste:
- Food waste, which accounts for almost 25% of landfill content and is the third largest source of methane emissions nationwide.(source: )
- Glass, 90% of which ends up in landfills, despite being fully recyclable and locally reusable in construction, stormwater management, tile production, and more. 聽
The program’s partners, NewTerra Compost and Overlooked Materials, will play key roles in these pilots and all materials will be processed locally. Food scraps collected through the program will be processed by NewTerra Compost, creating healthy, nutrient-rich soil that can be used by local farms, community gardens, and schools. Overlooked Materials will recycle the glass, converting the glass to sand and gravel which can be used locally. 聽These local uses reduce our need to mine our region鈥檚 mountains, create more circular products, and reduce the burden on our landfills.
New Terra Compost, a locally owned and operated business, will lead the food waste collection program. The company specializes in turning food scraps into nutrient-rich compost, helping to divert organic material from landfills while enriching local soil.
In addition to curbside pickup in the pilot area, a drop-off kiosk will also be installed at each of Chattanooga鈥檚 five recycling centers, accessible to all residents within city limits. Residents can also drop off their own compostable materials off at one of the City鈥檚 recycling centers
Overlooked Materials, a Chattanooga-based recycling and circular products company, will lead the curbside glass recycling program. They specialize in recycling hard-to-process materials like glass and transforming them into useful products.
The composting program is being funded through a Organics Management grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)鈥檚 Division of Solid Waste Management.