Metro Nashville Public Works and Davidson County Solid Waste Region Board are working to create a long-term Solid Waste Master Plan with the ultimate goal of achieving zero waste to landfill in the future. The purpose of the Master Plan is to evaluate Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County’s existing waste management system and provide options to improve and enhance the system and increase waste reduction and diversion. Kelly Tipler described the process that was taken to create the Master Plan, a status report of where the city is on the plan, and steps that are being taken toward zero waste.

Full details of the plan are in the Solid Waste Plan Web Site. Ms. Tipler presented some of the findings from the report and its attachments. In particular, it is worth downloading and reading the Presentation to the Davidson County Solid Waste Region Board - March 29, 2018 that includes charts and graphs showing the makeup of waste going to landfills.

These charts show what kinds of material are included in waste and give an idea of where zero waste efforts should be directed.

Kelly Tipler has worked in non-profit administration since 2000. She founded the Tennessee Respite Coalition in 2000, was on the founding board of Pet Community Center and most recently founded Turnip Green Creative Reuse in 2010. She has a passion for non-profit service largely focused in community organizing. She and her husband created Upturn Consulting and have helped numerous small businesses with marketing, business systems and strategic planning. Currently she is the Director of Beautification for Metropolitan Nashville Public Works, where she continues her passion of diverting materials from landfills and finding sustainable solutions. She lives in the heart of Nashville, just a few blocks from Vanderbilt, with her husband, two kids, and four dogs. She surrounds herself with creative projects and ever-changing gardens (including various forms of composting).