RecyclingMonster - The covid-19 pandemic is rippling throughout the recycling industry, forcing changes to municipal and commercial programs in North America.
Community recycling centers are already experiencing closures in parts of Alabama, British Columbia, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Washington state, Resource Recycling reported.
The Humboldt Waste Management Authority (HWMA)’s Eureka Recycling Center in California was among them. The HWMA’s executive director said they planned to close on Tuesday until further notice.
“Because this virus can spread from person-to-person contact, HWMA is suspending CRV [California Refund 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 authority said, according to Waste Today Magazine.
Commercial recycling initiatives are also being hampered by the pandemic. Recycling Resource noted that Alaska Airlines halted onboard collection and several grocery stores in Oskaloosa, Iowa, stopped taking cans.
In Boise, Idaho, the Hefty EnergyBag curbside recycling program, which was already put on hold for facility upgrades, likely won’t resume until later this year, Waste Dive reported today. “While the EnergyBag concept has seen some increased interest in the wake of declining end market options for certain mixed plastics, it still has not been widely adopted,” the outlet noted.
The National Waste and Recycling Association, which has nearly 700 members representing the American private-sector waste and recycling industry, sent letters to state agencies and to Vice President Mike Pence this week requesting regulatory flexibility for waste handling during the covid-19 emergency.
“NWRA is concerned that, without the necessary flexibility, disruptions may occur that would impact the collection and processing of waste and recyclables,” the letter said. The association added that disruptions could occur for reasons such as employees becoming ill, limited availability of personal protective equipment, and difficulty marketing or moving recyclable materials due to limit exporting capacity.
Courtesy : www.environmentalleader.com