In a letter to congressional leaders, the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) called upon them to prioritize critical infrastructure industries, which includes waste and recycling, in the next COVID-19 relief package that Congress will take up soon. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) designated the waste collection industry as essential in March.

“During this national emergency, NWRA member companies have been classified as ‘essential’ and are listed under five different ‘essential critical infrastructure workers’ headings in the CISA 3.0 guidelines. They will, therefore, continue providing waste and recycling services to their customers and communities in order to protect the public’s health and safety,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “We need congressional action on access to critical personal protective equipment or PPE. Furthermore, in some instances our member companies are not being compensated for their services because the businesses they serve are shut down as a result of the pandemic. We urge Congress to address these issues in the next COVID-19 relief package.”

For more information, visit www.wasterecycling.org

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