Recycling’s COVID Concerns: Haulers Seek Flexibility On Mandates

A pile of recyclable material waiting to be baled at the Chittenden Solid Waste District’s facility. Haulers who first handle the stuff are concerned about exposure to the new coronavirus. (John Dillon/VPR)

Citing the risks posed by the coronavirus, the Scott administration has joined with waste haulers around Vermont to press for flexibility with the state’s recycling laws.

In normal, pre-COVID times, recycling was something most of us took for granted. We separated our trash, and took it to the curb or transfer station.

But studies have shown that the coronavirus can live up to three days on plastic and metal surfaces, and up to a day on cardboard. So the trash haulers, who often are the first people to touch recyclables outside the home, say they’re concerned about exposure to coronavirus.

Because of that concern, they say the state needs the legal ability to relax mandates if needed.

“I am worried about my men on the street,” said Jeffrey Meyers, of Meyers Container Service Corp. “I got guys coming in that are scared each day.”

Meyers’ company picks up trash and recyclables all over northern Vermont. “There’s going to be certain areas that it’s not safe for my drivers,” he said. “And that’s where we’re looking for the flexibility.”

Meyers told the House Natural Resources Committee recently that he’s not asking for a blanket exemption from the law that says recyclables must be kept out of landfills.

He said in urban areas, his trucks that are equipped with a mechanical arm can safely pick up large containers of recyclables. But in the rural areas, a two-person crew usually has to physically handle the stuff.

Read the rest of this story at VPR’s website.