Nashville, Tennessee, inches closer to establishing standalone solid waste department

The city of Nashville is one step closer to establishing a new department to oversee waste disposal, with the Metro Nashville Council approving an ordinance to create the Metro Department of Waste Services.

Following this May 20 vote, the ordinance only needs one more round of approval at the council’s next meeting on June 3.

“Metro Water did a phenomenal job … bridging the gap and making sure that essential function kept happening, but I'm very pleased to have this legislation before us today to prop up our solid waste department as a full department,” District 5 Council Member Sean Parker says. “I think the function of solid waste collection around the county and in the urban services district is essential, and it warrants having a department.”

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As reported by The Tennessean, solid waste has been handled under Metro Water Services for the past four years. In 2021, the council approved an agreement to transfer solid waste responsibilities from the now-defunct Metro Public Works department to Metro Water Services.

The idea, according to the city, was to free up capacity to morph Public Works into the Nashville Department of Transportation later that year. The agreement expires on July 1.

The city of Nashville has already hired a director to lead the department, and Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year recommends $2.8 million and 30 additional staffers to help run it.