By Colin Staub, Resource Recycling
The global escalation of COVID-19 is hampering some North American recycling programs, impacting Chinese users of U.S. recovered fiber, constraining global shipping, denting stock prices and threatening an economic recession.
The coronavirus, which last week was deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO, has grown steadily in scale since the first outbreak in China late last year. It is now in 159 countries, areas and territories. As of Tuesday, March 17, there have been more than 179,000 confirmed novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases globally and more than 7,100 deaths, according to WHO.
The U.S. government last week declared a national emergency, and the impacts are filtering down into daily life across the nation.
Cities and companies react
Even as the vast majority of municipalities have not made changes to recycling service, the coronavirus impact has been felt in programs around the country.
In Salt Lake City, officials committed to ensuring collection. The city’s sustainability department said it is “making plans to ensure garbage, recycling, and compost containers are collected as usual in the case of more widespread COVID-19 infection rates.”
Still, some communities have made the decision to adjust or suspend recycling collection, or gear up for potential disruptions.
Dalton, Ga. has paused collection service for two weeks beginning March 16.
“Because curbside recycling pickup requires sorting by hand and there are many unknowns about how the virus spreads from surface to surface, this service is being suspended to avoid chances of community spread,” the city stated in a release.
In Washington state, the city of Tacoma announced on March 13 its solid waste division was “experiencing some COVID-19 impacts, which may result in collection schedule changes for both residential and commercial customers.”
The city added that, in the case of collection delays, it would prioritize garbage collection above recycling, yard waste and other services. The release added the city will strive to collect materials within one week of the scheduled collection day. The Tacoma News Tribune reported the potential delays followed a higher number of employees taking sick time or precautionary time off.
In California, the Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA) in Eureka temporarily closed its recycling center to comply with social distancing recommendations from local and federal officials. The closure means residents will not be able to redeem containers for their deposit value at that location.
“Because this virus can spread from person-to-person contact, HWMA is suspending [California Redemption Value] Buy Back activities in an effort to decrease person-to-person interactions while directly handling used aluminum, plastic or glass CRV materials at the Eureka Recycling Center,” the organization stated in a release.
A recycling center in Ashland County, Ohio is suspending drop-off recycling due to concerns over workers coming into contact with contaminated medical waste. The Times-Gazette newspaper reported a local recycling center is pausing the service because it sometimes receives bags with used tissues, hygiene products, medical waste and more. The bins will be temporarily removed.
Athens, Ala. suspended curbside recycling because a recycling contractor hasn’t been able to staff its facility. The contractor employs inmates at its recycling center, and with the state restricting movement in and out of correctional facilities, the center no longer has enough staff.
Following multiple COVID-19 cases confirmed in Michigan, the East Lansing Department of Public Works closed its recycling drop-off site along with other city facilities.
If you liked this post you’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.
