The City of Philadelphia Streets Department crews continue to lag behind due to staffing shortages, bad weather and greater amounts of trash to collect. They say residents should put trash and recycling out on their designated day this week but to expect delays. A spokesperson for the city says despite a projected $750 million economic shortfall from the pandemic, they didn’t cut any sanitation jobs and are hiring an upwards of 120 more workers to ensure collection gets back on track.
The West Passyunk Neighbor’s Association took matters into their own hands this weekend, renting trucks and collecting recycling from 24 homes. “How could it get this bad? I mean some of the blocks that we were on, it looked like a tornado of trash had gone through,” said James Gitto, president of the West Passyunk Neighbor’s Association.
To decrease delays, the city launched a new initiative called “Curb Your Waste.” It provides tips for homeowners to decrease the amount of trash set out for collection. Some examples include using garbage disposals, setting out trash properly and keeping the weight under 40 pounds. The city strongly encourages residents to use Sanitation Convenience Centers in order to avoid collection delays.