State officials want input on long-term waste-management plan

JACKSON, Tenn. — A room full of county officials spanning from the Hub City to Memphis discuss how they can cut down on the amount of waste collecting in landfills.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation finished their series of three meetings across the state in Jackson on Wednesday morning.

In Madison County, leaders have major concerns over what new policies could mean for the wallets of taxpayers.

“Recycling is a good thing. However, recycling is very costly, so we have concerns about how that is going to negatively affect the bottom line for the county and citizens as well,” said Candy Overstreet, director of Madison County’s Environmental Health Program.

It’s meetings like these state employees said help them make the most informed decision.

“There has been a lot of feedback and valuable input about how TDEC should consider the challenges such as cost to recycling for local government,” Mitchell said.

For residents, experts say there are some things you can do to cut down on waste.

“Watch things you buy, packaging, items like that. A lot of people reduce and reuse at home already, and it starts at home,” Overstreet said.

TDEC said this is about a 10- to 12-month process before they submit a final proposal.

To look at the Tennessee Department of Conservation and Environment’s proposals, click here.