Nashville Mayor John Cooper took to Twitter recently to share his frustration with the city’s recycling collector for not being able to collect the city’s trash and recyclables in a timely matter. The Nashville Metro Water services released a statement earlier last week that Red River Waste Solutions had not been able to collect all of Nashville’s trash, and would have to halt collections to allow trucks and staff to be reassigned.
“Our city’s private trash collector, Red River, has failed us.” Cooper tweeted. “As Mayor and a resident, I share your frustration over the problem of collecting the garbage, resulting in a temporary delay in curbside recycling as we put all our resources in collecting the trash.”
Our city’s private trash collector, Red River, has failed us. As Mayor and a resident, I share your frustration over the problem of collecting the garbage, resulting in a temporary delay in curbside recycling as we put all our resources in collecting the trash. (1/2). pic.twitter.com/2yOIVjuZL3
— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) December 23, 2021
Cooper said in a statement that Red River had been the city’s trash collector since 2004, and securing additional contractors to help the company had been complicated with the cleanup from the December 11 tornado that hit Kentucky and parts of Tennessee.
“Metro Waste Services has put all crews into trash pickup. Public sanitation has to be the priority, resulting in temporary curtail of other functions such as curbside recycling service.” Cooper continued.
Many Nashville residents responded to Cooper’s tweet. Some replied to Cooper saying that he had failed Nashville residents, and others commented that their trash had still not been picked up.
The mayor’s missing garnered many animated responses. Twitter user Leon Black tweeted, “Are you kidding me??,” Twitter user Leon Black replied. “THEY didn’t fail us. YOU failed us! What happened to the promise of 2x a month recycling collection that was written and approved into the budget over a year ago? That never happened and now you idiots can’t even manage a company to pick up once a month?”
Are you kidding me?? THEY didn’t fail us. YOU failed us!
What happened to the promise of 2x a month recycling collection that was written and approved into the budget over a year ago?
That never happened and now you idiots can’t even manage a company to pick up once a month?
— Leon Black (@itsallyerfault) December 23, 2021
The Nashville Government website posted a notice that said while the city had been in communications with other trach collecting services, the other companies were unable to assist Red River.
The notice added since Red River had been unable to collect trash for three consecutive weeks, that Metro was utilizing their recycling trucks and staff to help collect trash. Metro said their goal is to have the trash pick up to resume normalcy in late January to early February of 2022.
Residents are encouraged to take their trash to a recycling drop-off site, or a convenience center.
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Morgan Nicole Veysey is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Mayor John Cooper” by Mayor John Cooper.
