City Public Works Administrator Justin Holland said the city plans to begin shipping much of its garbage to Bradley County.
He said the deal is projected to extend the life of the city landfill at Birchwood by 15 years.
Mr. Holland said Bradley County "has a huge landfill and takes garbage from Knoxville and other municipalities. It's regional."
He said Bradley County charges $15.78 per ton, whereas the city charge is much higher at $31.50 per ton.
Mr. Holland said the city landfill will remain open to accept certain garbage, but will trim down from 85,000 to 90,000 tons per year to 10,000 to 15,000 tons.
He said the city had been poised for a $7 million landfill expansion, but that can be delayed. He said it also will not have to fix an $800,000 compactor at this time.
The trash will be taken to the Wisdom Street disposal site and taken to the Bradley County Landfill by Santek, which also operates the Bradley facility.
"This will allow us to maximize our remaining space," Mr. Holland said.