What to know about Hendersonville's new waste management contract and why you should care

We had some questions about the service — what changed, how much it costs and what's included for residents —so we took a hard look at the contract and sought to answer those questions.

Here's everything you need to know about the city's new waste management contract.

Will basic costs rise?

Are residents paying more for standard city collection under the new contract? Yes, but the rate increase is smaller than what officials estimated it would cost to continue the city's previous service.

The city's new trash collection contract with Waste Pro took effect on July 1, following the termination of its current five-year contract with the same company on June 30.

The new rate for standard city collection is $17.59 per household per month, City of Hendersonville Public Information Officer Casey LaMarr said.

The cost under the previous contract was $12.92 per household per month.

"It was estimated that to continue service as we had it, rates would have increased 200-300%," LaMarr said. "Offering add-on options for residents helps to keep the overall costs lower while allowing those who need additional service the opportunity to add those if they want."

Under the previous contract, collection costs remained lower than rising costs for waste collection, city officials said on Facebook. And to provide the same service, new bid rates were proposed with significant and unsustainable costs, officials said.

The new contract, created from resident feedback gathered in the fall of 2023 via public meetings and surveys, noted a priority for cost effective and consistent trash collection.

To maintain an affordable service, city officials approved a resolution to enter into the new contract during a March Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

Service information and upgrade options were mailed to residents in late April.

Do residents need to take any action?

Residents did not need to sign up for anything because everyone was automatically enrolled, according to hvilletn.org/newtrashservice. Trash fees for standard collection are included in residents' annual property tax bills.

Under the standard service, curbside trash collection will be held once a week for two cans of any size up to 96-gallons and two bags. Bags outside of the approved two cans will not be collected.

Collection dates may change for some residents, according to hvilletn.org/newtrashservice. Residents should expect new route information in their mailboxes from Waste Pro soon, according to Facebook.

Are there any extras and how can they be added?

Additional services are available for residents to add to the base service, along with medical exemptions for those who are physically unable to move their trash cans to the curb.

A backdoor collection service is available to residents with physical limitations at no charge, according to hvilletn.org/newtrashservice. Residents in need of this service must submit a medical exemption waiver.

Completed forms can be taken to city hall, emailed to Public Works at pw@hvilletn.org or faxed to 615-264-5327.

The new contract will require that Waste Pro offer backdoor collection and a second pick up day as additional services, according to hvilletn.org/newtrashservice.

What do the extras cost?

Here's a breakdown of the available service upgrades:

To replace curbside collection, the backdoor collection upgrade will cost $24.11 per month for once a week pickup and $84.04 per month for twice a week pickup.

For curbside twice a week, residents can expect to pay $23.76 per month.

Residents are not required to have a specific can for collection. Curbside cans can be any size up to 96-gallons, but backdoor customers must have cans no larger than 65 gallons, according to hvilltn.org/newtrashservice.

Hendersonville residents can purchase a 96-gallon trashcan for a one-time offer of $105 plus tax, including delivery. Cart Maintenance service can be added for $48 annually, per container.

Visit hvilltn.org/newtrashservice for more information and links to sign-up for additional services.

Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.