With spring weather upon us, and hundreds of Knoxville residents getting an early start on their gardening and landscaping tasks, City crews will be resuming bi-weekly brush pickup on Monday, Feb. 27 – right on schedule with Mother Nature.

City crews put brush collection on pause for leaf pickup season, which takes place from October through February. This past leaf season, crews collected 2,189 loads of leaves, weighing a total of 6,901 tons.

“Individual piles of leaves are lightweight, so the cumulative weight that our crews collect – more than 6,900 tons – surprises people,” said Chad Weth, Public Service Director. “Then, when we get into brush pickup season, we collect about three times that tonnage – everything from grass clippings to pruned branches to big piles of pulled weeds.

“It’s very much a meticulous, hands-on, house-by-house process, but it’s rewarding work that homeowners really seem to appreciate. Our crews take a great deal of pride in helping to keep all the City’s neighborhoods looking clean and tidy.”
In 2016, the City collected a total of more than 30,000 tons of yard waste.

Brush pickup season typically runs from March through October. Crews follow a pre-set fixed schedule and collect yard waste on each street every two weeks.

City of Knoxville residents can obtain brush collection schedules by calling 311 (or 865-215-4311). Or go online – www.knoxvilletn.gov/311 -- and click on the “Brush Pickup Schedule” link.
Yard waste placed at the curb must be kept separate from trash and be raked or placed within 6-by-6-by-6 foot piles. For more details, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/publicservice.