By Tyler Whetstone, tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com

Knoxville officials are asking City Council to approve a $2.9 million purchase for 60,000 90-gallon trash carts in an effort to modernize the city's waste collection service.

If approved, the carts will serve as the first of two steps toward renewing the city's solid waste contract that expires Dec. 31. Council members will vote on the budget amendment at Tuesday's meeting.

The second step, which will come before the Council in two weeks, involves the panel selecting a new contract for solid waste collections.

Chad Weth, the city's public service director, said the move is an effort to modernize and cheapen the city's garbage service contract.

Currently, the city pays approximately $4.9 million a year for the solid waste contract, but Weth said the 90-gallon cans, as opposed to the four, 32-gallon cans residents are currently permitted, will save the city nearly $2 million a year.

Picking up the garbage in the larger carts, similar to the carts used for recycling, can be automated and will cost the city less on work and workman's compensation claims. The city received bids as low as $3.1 million a year for the new contract, but the contracts were submitted with the assumption that city residents would have the correct garbage carts.

"Without the carts, the savings on the hauling contract wouldn't happen. … From a hauling perspective it is a lot easier for them to go automated where they can and even being semi-automated does prevent injuries of the waste hauler," Weth said.

"So we went out to bid with the assumption that we would have 60,000 garbage carts," he said.

If approved, Weth said the city will recoup its $2.9 million cost in 18-24 months from the accrued savings.

The new solid waste contract would be for seven years and include two five-year options. Weth said the city could save a little more than $30 million over the life of the contract.

Rachel Butzler, the city's solid waste manager, said the larger, sturdier carts will improve litter across the city and make the city look cleaner.

"Right now we have some people who don't even use cans, they just have bags on the street," she said. "So if it is close to the curb you can have traffic going over it and animals (getting into it). … We're hoping it will help beautify Knoxville a little bit more."

Currently, the city pays $912,000 for recycling but Weth said the price on recycling services will not be impacted much with a new contract, but service options could change, he said.

If approved, the carts would be rolled out by Christmas and the new contract, with whomever the city chooses, would begin January 1, he said.

The city currently uses Waste Connections. They are one of five companies that have sent proposals to the city for the new contract.