Dealing with COVID 19 in the Waste and Recycling Industry:
 

Trash & Recycling along with the majority of all waste removal activity is considered “Low Risk” for contracting COVID-19. There are several considerations that should be implemented to keep our citizens and staff safe to keep the risk low.  There are some instances in Wyoming where the risk is higher due to smaller facilities and increased contact with materials by hand.

• The Virus may live on some surfaces, for an extended amount of time.  Cardboard is up to 24 hours, plastics are 2-3 days. 
• Limit group drop off areas and collection sites.  If you have a drop off center reduce hours, limit the amount of people that can visit at any one time, and if your facility is small consider closing to the public or creating alternatives where person to person contact is greatly reduced.  Some centers are working alternative hours to reduce contact. Public drop off are not the same time as workers are working.  Some public drop off locations are closed.
• Do not handle trash or recycling without wearing gloves, preferably disposable nitrile or latex.
• Discard disposable gloves after each shift.  Non-disposable gloves need to be sanitized after each shift.
• Any surface that comes into contact with the gloves during service needs to be sanitized frequently and at the end of each shift, (steering wheels, vehicle or access door handles, and containers).
• Hand Sanitizer, and products like Lysol need to be utilized frequently.
• Contact with others needs to be limited with a minimum of 6’ of space between individuals and in groups of less than 10.
• Without proper equipment no contact should be made with loose trash/recycling waste materials.  All waste/recycling materials need to be contained in a tied-off liner.
• Contain all sneezing and coughing, especially when around others.
• Avoid touching eyes, face, or mouth with un-washed hands.
• Limit travel to essential events.
• If symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath occur, contact family physician.  If in contact with an infected individual, self-quarantine consult family physician.

In a statement issued by The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) this week, the Waste and Recycling industry is considered an "essential" to the country and keeping operations running is very important to the health of our country and citizens.  In the event of a wide spread quarantine of an entire State or Country, solid waste services would still need to function.  Below is an excerpt of their notice:

• A growing number of states and localities are issuing orders identifying certain industries as “essential” during the pandemic, and these orders typically include the solid waste industry and other categories of employees who may be SWANA members. In those locations, employees and contractors may need to demonstrate proof to law enforcement personnel or others that they work in an essential industry. Attached is a template letter that employers can customize to their needs and provide to employees and contractors. The letter should be on agency/company letterhead and include a contact person and a telephone number to call. The contact person should be familiar with the applicable emergency declarations.
• Employees and contractors should carry the customized letter with them at all times, and particularly when they are going to or from work. Several waste industry employees in California in their personal vehicles were stopped on their way to work by law enforcement personnel late last week, but fortunately their employer had created a letter similar to the attached and the employees were able to show that letter and proceed to their places of employment.
• This letter is intended to allow workers to demonstrate that they work in a job category identified as an essential service, including solid waste and recycling operations. It should not be used for any other purpose or by employees that are not actively supporting these operations.
• In addition, attached is a notification document for solid waste employers and others to place in their work vehicles to demonstrate they are covered by recent emergency order guidance. It cites the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, March 19, 2020 memo that identifies workers engaged in the removal, storage, and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste and hazardous waste as essential infrastructure workers.

• Mitch Olson, PhD, PE, Emerging Contaminants Subject Matter Expert, Trihydro
• Jens Blotevogel, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Colorado State University

• Factors that drive the need for PFAS site characterization and/or remediation.
• How unique sampling techniques, required to reduce the potential for PFAS contamination of samples, affect practical aspects of sample collection.
• How analytical methods should be selected for PFAS in environmental samples in the current absence of an EPA method for non-drinking water media.
• Pros, cons, and practical limitations for PFAS treatment approaches including destructive and non-destructive techniques.
• State-of-the-science for research into PFAS destruction via treatment trains and biological degradation.

Join WSWRA in Casper Wyoming.

It is time to save the date for the WSWRA 2020 Annual Conference!   This year events will be held in Casper Wyoming,  August 17th - 20th, 2020.

Be sure to save the date in your calendar today so you do not miss out on important industry events, training, and great networking.  The WSWRA Board is working hard on bringing you expert content that makes the annual conference a must attend for any Solid Waste or Recycling professional.  Details on this event including lodging, speakers, and tickets will be coming out soon!

Safety is very important and is an upmost concern for all attendees and participants.  The COVID-19 Virus outbreak is having effect on conferences and group activities across the country.  We will monitor the growing situation closely, currently the impact may be minimal as this conference is several months away.