Brush and Leaf Collection in Metro Nashville
Residents in Metro Nashville’s Urban and General Services Districts have their brush and yard waste collected five times a year. Instead of chippers, Metro Public Works and its contractor, SRS Inc., use knuckle boom trucks equipped with a mechanical arm that lifts brush piles up and into a trailer that’s pulled behind the truck. This method of collecting brush is quieter and safer than using wood chippers, and allows Metro to provide quicker and more efficient service.
Using knuckle boom trucks instead of wood chippers, crews from Public Works and SRS Inc. can cover more area on brush routes per day.
BRUSH DO’S AND DON’TS
Believe it or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to set out your
brush for pick-up.
RIGHT
WAY:
You need to leave enough room for the mechanical arm of the knuckle boom truck to operate. You can stack your piles end to end, as shown above, or on top of one another. In general, height doesn’t matter, but all brush needs to be close enough to the curb or roadway for the truck to reach it. Only the driver travels with the truck; no other crew members to move piles or separate items that don’t belong in a brush pile.
WRONG
WAY:
 |
 |
Brush piles should not be placed close to mailboxes, utility poles, fences, trees or other stationary objects.
 |
 |
Place only limbs, branches and true yard waste by the curb for brush crews. Lumber, household trash and other types of debris found in your brush pile means it won’t get picked up.
 |
 |
Well-meaning citizens placed these brush piles too far from the roadway for the knuckle boom truck to reach them.
To ensure that your brush will be picked up, don’t forget to follow these important Do’s and Don’ts and other brush collection guidelines.
Metro Brush and Leaf Collection Guidelines
When setting out brush and leaves for collection, be sure to follow
the guidelines below.
| DO |
DON'T |
Put brush out
before the first day the trucks are scheduled to be in your Area. |
Do not stack brush
against trees, fences, utility poles or other stationary objects.* |
Place your brush
where your garbage is collected – at the curb if your trash
is collected there or in the alley if you have alley trash collection. |
Do not place brush,
clippings and/or leaves where they can be washed into a storm
sewer, catch basin or stream and clog up drainage systems. |
Leaves can be
put out with your limbs and other brush in brown paper bags ONLY. |
Do not include
limbs that are more than 4 inches in diameter. No stumps accepted. |
*REMEMBER: The mechanical arm of the knuckle boom truck needs enough room to lift the brush pile up and into the trailer that is pulled behind the truck. Only the driver travels with each truck; no other crew members are there to move piles or separate items that don’t belong in a brush pile.
Brush from commercial tree and landscaping services must be disposed of by the company and not left for collection by Metro. (According to Metro Code 10.20.085.) If you hire someone to cut your brush, be sure that the cost of hauling the brush and other debris away is included in the price.
Brush is collected by Metro in the Urban Services District and the General Services District but NOT in satellite / self-incorporated cities such as Forest Hills, Berry Hill, and Belle Meade. Residents of those areas should contact their city officials for the services available.
For a small fee, all Davidson County residents may take their brush and leaves to the Bordeaux Mulch Facility at 1400 County Hospital Rd. Leaves may also be composted in your own backyard; visit our composting pages to find out how.
For more information about Metro's brush collection service,
please see our collection map and schedule,
or call 880-1000.
