New ‘Bigbelly’ trash cans installed in Downtown Murfreesboro

Main Street Murfreesboro partners with City Solid Waste, County, to revitalize trash cans in Downtown Public Square

The next time you throw away trash in the downtown Public Square, you’ll be able to “keep downtown clean” while also enjoying a piece of Murfreesboro history. Main Street Murfreesboro advocated for the modern design that promotes history with old photos wrapped around the containers.

Twelve newly installed “Bigbelly” trash containers have replaced the old metal cans that were inadequate in size and posed a safety risk for the public and Solid Waste employees who service them.

The new trash containers are part of a partnership between the City, Main Street Murfreesboro, and Rutherford County. The County is responsible for two cans placed on their property outside the historic Rutherford County courthouse.

“This was a great collaborative project between Main Street Murfreesboro, the City of Murfreesboro, and the Rutherford County Courthouse, said Sarah Callender, Executive Director of Main Street. “With the increased foot traffic in our historic downtown comes an increase in garbage, and the older metal cans with open tops were insufficient, allowing the immense amount of trash collected each day to overflow onto the sidewalks. With this new Bigbelly design, Main Street had the opportunity to work with the Rutherford County Archives to pull historic photos aligned with each streetscape where a trash can was located. These historic photo wraps give pedestrians a better sense of our public square’s historical relevance as we grow as a downtown business district.”

“It was time for the old containers to go,” said Murfreesboro Solid Waste Director Russell Gossett. “I’m thankful for Main Street’s leadership in advocating for beautifying downtown with these new containers. We hope residents and visitors are pleased with the new edition.”

Gossett first presented the “BigBelly” trash containers to the City Council Workshop, December 12, 2024. The total cost of the project, including the historic wrap, design services, and delivery was $33,000.

For more information on Bigbelly, visit www.bigbelly.com

As a reminder, City residents can receive text notifications letting them know about changes in Solid Waste garbage collection in their neighborhood. Sign up for Garbage Collection text notifications by simply texting BoroGarbage to 38276. If residents prefer to receive an email notification instead of text messages, visit Alerts and Notifications on the City’s website at https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/2176/Alerts-Notifications to receive details on how to sign up.