A Word About Recycling with Ollie Maier
Last week we referenced an article from Resource Recycling that spoke of how the recycling programs in three cities were coping with the virus. We covered a large one (New York) and a small one (Fort Collins, Colorado), but didn’t get to the medium one (our Austin, Texas). We also didn’t get to another article mentioning how it was affecting another Texas city, Temple.
Thus today we will go north a little ways to that medium city, our state’s capitol. The article started with a mention that this city of about 1 million residents was impacted early on by the virus by a shortage of collection workers.
It mentioned how Austin, a shortage of collection workers impacted service early on. Some days, as many as 98 of the department’s drivers couldn’t work. This was out of a normal total of about 240 available.
Thus the city had to look at what normal collection services they would have to reduce or suspend. The first was bulky material and brush collection. Next was the temporary closure of a drop-off recycling facility. They did the same with a household hazardous waste collection center. (174)
As the new virus-driven regulations started taking effect, parts of the recycling generation began to shift significantly, including contamination. Although the overall amount of contamination didn’t increase greatly, more masks, face shields, and nitrile gloves were found in the recycling stream.
Just as in New York, the virus caused a shift in where the recycled materials were being collected. That coming from the commercial sector decreased whereas the amount coming for the residential sector increased.
All three cities reported the virus and corresponding budget cuts were also affecting desired information reaching the customers. As a spokesperson for Austin explained, “We’re not doing any in-person outreach. The city is trying to drive traffic to its website for recycling education, and it’s trying to use social media.”
He continued, “I think that’s probably going to be the mode of operation for the foreseeable [future]… At least for the next year or so, I think we’re all going to be operating on that same level.”
Personal note: Here we are again at the limit I try to set for these articles (as we know you also have other important things to do)… and I haven’t said a word yet about the article on the effects of the virus on the program in Temple. One of the reasons I would like to cover it also is that city population (78,000) is close to that of San Marcos. Thus, that will have to wait until next week.
Till then have a safe, happy and healthy Labor Day Weekend.
