News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County continues to study new technology that would reduce solid waste coming from its transfer station.
Mayor Randy Porter said officials are working with potential companies to see what the county’s options are.
“We’ve been meeting with companies and discussing and seeing what’s out there, what can be offered,” Porter said. “We are currently working on an RFP (request for proposal) to see what companies can give us some promises as far as the technology they have.”
The new solid waste technology puts garbage through a drying process and works to sort out valuable recyclables.
Porter said the process would be a benefit to the county and the environment.
“It allows more of the recyclables to be pulled out of the regular household garbage and for us to be able to sell those,” Porter said. “The more we pull out, the less we have to send out to the landfill which reduces the tonnage that would actually go into the landfill.”
Porter said the county could save approximately $2.5 million with the new technology. Putnam County currently sends its solid waste to the Rhea County Landfill for about $1.8 million.
“That costs us about $31 a ton to do that,” Porter said. “There’s a mandate from the State of Tennessee for all counties to reduce their garbage by 25 percent by the year 2022. So we’re looking at all kinds of technology to do that with.”
Porter said the topic was placed on hold temporarily as county commissioners worked through the new fiscal year budget. Discussions on the new technology could resurface within the next couple months.
