Residential brush collection in city of Knoxville neighborhoods begins the first week of March and will continue through the last week of October.
A city crew will visit every house in Knoxville every two weeks. Last year, the Public Service Department collected more than 25,000 tons of brush, which was recycled into mulch and diverted from going to landfills.
This year, city brush pickup will become more efficient while still offering service every two weeks.
Previously, brush crews operated on a “day-of” schedule; residents were assigned a specific day for the brush to be picked up. To expedite household brush pickup, crews will be moving to a “week-of” brush pickup schedule. The change will create flexibility and allow the crews to work more productively.
“The volume of the brush set out by residents varies,” Public Service Director Chad Weth said. “With the strict day-of schedule, our crews couldn’t work ahead on light brush days, because residents who were scheduled for the following days may not have their brush set out yet.
“By moving to a week-of schedule, our crews can pick up brush continuously, which helps us accelerate service to our residents.”
On weeks when brush pickups are light, brush crews may have time to provide additional services in support of public works operations, Weth said.
Public Service crews will follow the same route to visit each residence every two weeks. Residents are asked to set out their brush by 7 a.m. on the Monday of their pickup weeks.
To more fully explain the new pickup schedule, the city is mailing information to each household that should be received before brush pickup begins in March. The mailer also provides a simple checklist that homeowners can use to make sure their brush is ready for collection, as well as tips on how to best get leaves collected in the fall and winter.
Visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/brushpickup to see the mailer and for more information. City residents are encouraged to call 311 or visit https://bit.ly/2wuzpFh to find out which weeks their brush will be picked up.
Paige Travis is a public information specialist for the city of Knoxville. Reach her at ptravis@knoxvilletn.gov.