Recycling in Tennessee
Where to recycle, donate or get rid of things in 28 cities and towns across Tennessee. Pick your city, or search for your item. We also pick up anywhere in the state.
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Tennessee rules
- Whole, unshredded tires may not be landfilled in Tennessee; they must go to a permitted processing facility or a county waste tire collection site. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Every Tennessee county must provide at least one waste tire collection site for residents and businesses; TDEC publishes a county-by-county list of sites. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Counties may set local fees for handling commercial quantities of tires. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
More Tennessee rules (38)
- Each county must provide, directly, by contract or through a solid waste authority, at least one site to receive and store waste tires, used automotive oils and fluids, and lead-acid batteries, if adequate sites are not otherwise available. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- A pre-disposal fee is charged on each new tire sold at retail in Tennessee (T.C.A. 67-4-1610). Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- The tire pre-disposal fee is $1.35 per new tire for motor vehicles used on streets or highways, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, trailers, farm tractors and equipment, and construction machinery. Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue: OTF-6 Tire Pre-Disposal Fee Overview (opens in new tab)
- The fee is imposed on the business that sells new tires at retail in Tennessee. Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue: OTF-6 Tire Pre-Disposal Fee Overview (opens in new tab)
- Of each fee, $0.10 is kept by the dealer, $1.00 goes to the county of origin and $0.25 goes to TDEC for statewide waste tire management. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Tennessee also charges a Tire Environmental Fee on new vehicles registered in the state; the money supports the Tire Environmental Act Program (TEAP). Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Illegal dumping of tires is prohibited under Tennessee's litter law. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Anyone who commercially hauls waste tires in Tennessee must register each year with the Waste Tire Hauler Program. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Individuals hauling their own waste tires (for example in a personal vehicle, or farmers) do not need to register as waste tire haulers. Source: TDEC Waste Management Branch: Waste Tire Hauler Program (opens in new tab)
- TDEC's retailer section lists only the pre-disposal fee; it describes no duty for tire retailers to take back used tires. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Waste Tire Program (opens in new tab)
- Alkaline batteries sold after May 13, 1996 have no added mercury and may go in the regular trash in Tennessee. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- Lead-acid batteries must be recycled and cannot go in the trash; almost all auto parts stores and county convenience centers take them. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- TDEC says lead-acid batteries can be recycled through the local solid waste department or at many auto parts stores such as AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts and Napa. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- Lithium batteries must not go in the trash or in recycling containers. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries need to be recycled and cannot go in the trash. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Tape the terminals of lithium batteries with non-conductive tape (electrical, packing or duct tape) before storing or recycling them. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Several home improvement stores take power tool batteries. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- To be considered for mobile HHW service, a county must provide year-round collection and recycling of rechargeable batteries. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- County and city convenience centers across Tennessee collect batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze and electronics (BOPAE). Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- It is illegal to put wet latex paint in a Tennessee landfill; once completely dried, latex paint may go in the trash. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Use up or give away latex paint, or dry it with kitty litter, sawdust or shredded paper and put it in the regular garbage. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- Oil-based paint from households is household hazardous waste and cannot go in the trash; use it up, give it away or take it to a county paint collection facility if one exists. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Counties that want mobile HHW service must collect oil-based paint regularly at a fixed location; the state HHW contractor picks it up. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- PaintCare's state list does not include Tennessee: there is no PaintCare paint stewardship program in Tennessee. Source: PaintCare: Paint recycling and drop-off locations (state list) (opens in new tab)
- PaintCare runs paint recycling programs only in states with paint stewardship laws. Source: PaintCare: Paint recycling and drop-off locations (state list) (opens in new tab)
- TDEC describes electronics manufacturer take-back as voluntary and varied: some programs are free and others charge a fee. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Several manufacturers have take-back programs for older computers, and some retail stores accept smaller electronic devices year-round. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Computers and televisions can often be recycled through the local solid waste department or a private recycler. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- Local recyclers may charge a small fee for some items, for example $5 for CRT monitors. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Most local community e-waste programs are for households with a few pieces of electronics; businesses are generally excluded. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- National chains such as Best Buy, Office Depot/OfficeMax and Staples offer in-store recycling of small devices like cell phones. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Facilities that collect used electronics for recycling do not currently need a state permit. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze, and Electronics (BOPAE) (opens in new tab)
- Counties that want mobile HHW service must hold scheduled household electronics collections, including computers, laptops, CRTs, TVs, monitors, printers and cell phones. Source: TDEC Materials Management: Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- The Mercury Product Disposal Control Act bars covered generators from throwing mercury-added products, such as fluorescent bulbs and thermostats, away as ordinary solid waste. Source: TDEC Waste Management Branch: Mercury Product Disposal Control Act (opens in new tab)
- Covered generators are organisations with 10 or more employees, buildings of 3,000 sq ft or more (private residences excluded), electrical distribution systems, demolition businesses or tanning salons; households are not covered. Source: TDEC Waste Management Branch: Mercury Product Disposal Control Act (opens in new tab)
- Mercury-added products include thermostats, thermometers, switches, lamps and light bulbs. Source: TDEC Waste Management Branch: Mercury Product Disposal Control Act (opens in new tab)
- The Mattress Recycling Council operates statewide mattress recycling only in California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island; Tennessee has no state mattress program. Source: Mattress Recycling Council (opens in new tab)
- MRC runs recycling programs only in states that have passed mattress recycling laws, so there is no Bye Bye Mattress program for mattresses or box springs in Tennessee. Source: Mattress Recycling Council (opens in new tab)