New compactor at Dutchtown center

Mike DonilaWest Knox County

The Knox County Convenience Center at Dutchtown Road has a new compactor for large, bulky items, and quick action by county workers got it installed in time for weekend customers.

The center, located at 10618 Dutchtown Road, remained open last week, accepting bagged household trash, scrap metal and other recyclables during its regular hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Drew Thurman

Drew Thurman heads the county’s solid waste department. He explains the cost of new waste compactors is very high. “We are ordering some new ones now and they are all over $30,000 per compactor.”

Thurman said Knox County takes old compactors and pays to have them refurbished to work like new ones. In fact, the “new” compactor at Dutchtown is actually a refurbished unit from the John Sevier center.

“That one at Dutchtown bought new would be more than $30,000, but it is a refurb that only cost about $10,000.” Thurman said a compactor that’s too badly damaged to refurb would be sold on govdeals.com or for scrap value at the county’s metal recycler vendor.

Thurman will be on-site today (10/22) to test the “new” compactor at Dutchtown.

Examples of bulky waste that can be dropped off at no charge at the county’s convenience centers are:

  • Box springs
  • Boards/lumber
  • Carpet
  • Couches
  • Doors
  • Drywall
  • Furniture
  • Glass pieces/sheets
  • Mattresses
  • Sheetrock
  • Tables
  • Windows

Mike Donila is communications director for Knox County government.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *