The dramatic rise in home activity during the Coronavirus pandemic has increased the exposure risk to an underappreciated and essential City of Denver workforce — residential trash, recycling and compost removal. Each weekday morning, a fleet of roughly 120 garbage trucks operated by about 180 drivers/laborers makes its way across Denver neighborhoods to dispose of the city’s waste. Their jobs have become increasingly critical, too, as the success of Gov. Jared Polis’ stay-at-home order has created an influx of residential trash, recycling and compost in Denver, said Charlotte Pitt, the city’s interim director of solid waste management.
As of late Monday, one Denver solid waste management crew member had tested positive for COVID-19, according to the city. He is currently self-quarantined at home and is “doing well,” Pitt said. The virus has currently not impacted residential pickup routes, and the city’s landfill and processing plants are not overwhelmed. But the city requires public help to ensure waste removal operations continue without interruption — unlike the 1918 “Spanish flu” pandemic, which halted garbage collection services in many cities across the world.
“The things you need to do to properly set out your waste are the same things we’ve asked you to do. Now, they’re really more important than they were before,” Pitt said. “It’s simple things like making sure you bag your trash. That really helps keep the city clean and prevents litter. Don’t overfill your containers. If you’re going to pile bags and bags in a container with open lids, it’s going to fall out when we pick up the (bin). Don’t bag your recycling, because that slows down our process, and plastic bags are considered a contaminant for the recycling program.”
The city has also reported a rise in the number of trash, recycling and compost bins not placed on their designated curve at the correct time and location.