Anderson County is asking you to bring only household garbage to convenience centers and the Chestnut Ridge landfill for now as the volume of waste increases while more people are staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The request comes as the stay-at-home order issued by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Thursday, April 2, remains in effect through at least Tuesday, April 14.

In a press release, Geoff Trabalka, supervisor of Anderson County Solid Waste Management, said many residents have extra time because of the stay-at-home order, and some are trying to make the most of that extra time by cleaning homes, making repairs, and working in yards, among other activities.

“All of these activities produce a large quantity of added material to the waste stream,” the press release said. “In the last two weeks, Anderson County has seen an extreme increase in waste being brought to its convenience centers, and to the Chestnut Ridge Landfill, particularly on Saturdays. This has raised the volume of garbage being hauled to 1.5 to 2 times the normal volume. Yard waste and bulk waste items like furniture and appliances are a great portion of that increase.”