The Metro Council has announced the establishment of a Solid Waste Subcommittee under the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee will be chaired by At-Large Metro Council Member Burkley Allen, who brings extensive experience in waste management and sustainability initiatives.
Vice Mayor Angie E. Henderson and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sean Parker made the announcement, emphasizing the importance of addressing solid waste challenges in Nashville. Council Member Burkley Allen has a long history of involvement in waste management, having served on the Public Works Committee and the Solid Waste Master Plan Taskforce. She is also a member of the Nashville Sustainability Advisory Committee, which was set up in August 2023 to focus on sustainability issues, including waste reduction.
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With Davidson County lacking a solid waste landfill and nearby counties’ landfills nearing capacity, the council is eager to implement strategies from the Zero Waste Master Plan. This plan was developed by CDM Smith in collaboration with various Metro agencies and community groups and was adopted by the Solid Waste Region Board in September 2019.
The first meeting of the new subcommittee took place on Monday, December 16, where Tracey Thurman, the newly appointed director of the Metro Division of Waste Services, provided an update on her activities. Vice Mayor Henderson expressed confidence in Thurman’s leadership and emphasized the subcommittee’s role in ensuring structured oversight of the city’s solid waste efforts. She highlighted the need for accountability in funding and policy recommendations to achieve Nashville’s zero waste objectives.
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chair Sean Parker explained the administrative changes made in 2022, which saw the division of the Public Works Department into the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multi-Modal Infrastructure (NDOT) and the reassignment of Waste Services to the Metro Water Services Department. The subcommittee is expected to play a vital role in oversight and coordination as a separate Waste Services Department is established.
Burkley Allen outlined the subcommittee’s priorities, stressing the importance of reliable waste collection and the need to reduce landfill dependency through increased recycling and composting. She noted the existence of effective programs and pilots that could be expanded across Davidson County and highlighted the subcommittee’s potential to maintain these priorities for Nashville’s benefit.
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