By Laura McCrystal, Philadelphia Inquirer Updated: August 13, 2020- 3:03 PM
- Philadelphia sanitation crews dedicated Monday to picking up recycling that hadn’t been collected for weeks, and city officials said this week that they are mostly caught up.
But that’s not the case in every neighborhood. In parts of South Philadelphia, recycling hasn’t been collected for four weeks. So the West Passyunk Neighbors Association is taking matters into its own hands. The group will rent two trucks from Home Depot this weekend to get some of that recycling to one of the city’s sanitation centers.
James Gitto, president of the association, said volunteers will pick up recycling for residents who are elderly, disabled, or don’t have their own cars.
“Our goal is not to clean up the neighborhood in any kind of large-scale way,” he said. “We’re really focused on people who are not able to take care of the trash.
» READ MORE: Philly mixed recycling in with trash to deal with backup, but city says it will catch up
Crystal Jacobs, a spokesperson for the Streets Department, said Wednesday that “crews are caught up on the majority of recycling that sat prolonged at the curb from previous weeks.”
Mayor Jim Kenney has said that crews are “back up to speed” with collection. During a news conference Thursday, he said the city has already hired 30 temporary workers to join sanitation crews and will likely hire a total of 150 people.
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