Sanitation workers battle higher waste levels in residential areas as coronavirus outbreak persists

Waste among residential homes has increased as most Americans stay at home under shelter-in-place orders.

“Residential waste volume has increased between 5% to 35%, depending on the location, as Americans have been staying home and generating more trash and recyclables,” Biderman said.

At Waste Management, headquartered in Texas, residential waste went up by 25%, according to Janette Micelli, director of external affairs. 

To keep up with the unexpected volume of waste, several sanitation companies have suspended bulk pick-up services, meaning that sanitation workers temporarily avoid picking up large materials like tossed-out furniture.

About 80 communities nationwide have reported temporary suspensions in curbside recycling or yard waste collection, according to estimates from SWANA.

“This was because these communities’ sanitation departments have limited bandwidth and resources, and need to use their assets (trucks, people) to collect trash,” Biderman explained. Some communities have begun to resume these services.

In Southern California, sanitation workers have shut down some recycling facilities due to inability to keep adequate distance between workers, causing some curbside recyclables to end up in the landfill. 

Meanwhile, some companies have altered their schedules to keep up with the increased need for waste removal. 

Shelter-in-place guidelines have caused Americans to be “thrown off their routine,” said Pecora of Waste Pro USA, which has seen a 40% increase in residential waste in some areas.

“Rather than placing their materials out before going to work, they have been placing their materials out after our trucks have serviced their streets, resulting in a spike in calls concerning missed pickups,” Pecora said. 

Additionally, Waste Pro USA workers have been reporting higher numbers of “bulk items,” including old televisions and mattresses, in Florida. It is an indication that many Americans are using the time at home to do some heavy-duty spring cleaning. 

“This huge volume has resulted in significant increased expense as trucks are filling up and have to dispose, and then go back to same routes to complete,” Pecora said. 

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/16/coronavirus-sanitation-workers-battle-higher-waste-levels.html