Fentress County is seeing major success in its recycling and waste reduction efforts, according to its latest Annual Solid Waste Progress Report.
Fentress County Solid Waste Director Michael Rick said the report tracks landfill usage alongside recycling and reuse efforts. While Fentress County has a history of surpassing the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s 25% diversion goal, Rick noted that the county significantly exceeded expectations over the past year.
“I was completely blown away when I tallied the final number for the report,” Rick said. “We were at a 100.94 percent diversion rate. So we more than doubled, we nearly tripled what our average was.”
Rick said the number is expected to increase further once additional recycling data from major retailers is added to the report by the state. Rick credited the milestone to expanded recycling programs, grant funding, and strong community participation.
“We’ve started doing some mulch recycling, so we’ve allowed local tree services to come in and bring us their mulch, and we’ve been able to count that towards our diversion rate,” Rick said. “We have started a glass recycling program. We’ve also increased our cardboard recycling. We’ve also expanded our battery recycling program.”
The county also held special collection events for household hazardous waste and other hard-to-dispose items, helping divert additional materials from landfills. Rick said one standout effort came through a partnership with American Thrift Stores, which helped keep a significant amount of clothing out of the waste stream.
“We were able to keep 52 tons of clothing out of the landfill this year, which really, really surprised me by those numbers,” Rick said.
Rick said the success not only benefits the environment but also helps reduce costs for taxpayers.
“The reason it’s so important is it saves the taxpayer dollars,” Rick said. “The county isn’t having to spend as much to send it to a landfill. And that money that we get from some of the recyclables goes back into our local economy.”
He added that public participation and education have played a critical role in the county’s progress.
“Having a great team, that’s a huge part of it,” Rick said. “But that takes no credit away from the public. It takes the public being willing and helping to push to recycle as well.”
Looking ahead, the county is working to expand its recycling efforts even further, including the early stages of a pallet recycling program aimed at reducing bulky wood waste in landfills.
“I foresee in the next few months, it’s going full-blown and we’ll be able to take all kinds of pallets and be able to recycle those,” Rick said.
Rick said he expects the county’s diversion rates to continue climbing as new programs are implemented and community engagement remains strong.