The COVID-19 pandemic brought sudden changes to residents and business’ in cities across the U.S., including Pennsylvania. On March 19, 2020, Governor Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining business to close their physical locations, and his list of all essential and non-life-sustaining businesses has been updated numerous times since its release.

Although municipal solid waste and recycling collection, hauling and processing is among the list of essential businesses to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, these services are being restricted in many cities and municipalities across the state. Local hauling services across the state are providing instructions on how to properly prepare your recyclables and trash and/or restricting services for the health and safety of their workers and to lessen the strain on services during this time.

Here are a few recent changes that may affect you:

• City of Philadelphia released a service alert for its residents. As of March 20, 2020, trash and recycling will be collected on a normal schedule. Sanitation Convenience Centers have limited their hours to 8am to 8pm Tuesday through Saturday. For questions or to report missed pick-ups, residents should call Philly311.
• City of Pittsburgh has provided numerous press releases in which impacts to municipal solid waste and recycling have been mentioned. Residential curbside trash and recycling collection services remain the same, though the City encourages residents to allow extra time for pick-up. Beginning on Monday, March 30, 2020, the City is suspending bulk and yard waste pick-up. Public Works Drop-off sites at the East End, Hazelwood and West End divisions and the recycling drop-off at Construction Junction in North Point Breeze are closed until further notice. As of March 18, 2020, recycling drop-offs in the Strip District and Beltzhoover/Knoxville are still available. The City’s Electronic and Hazardous Waste Recycling have been put on hold until further notice.
• Waste Management released a service alert for Pennsylvania, indicating suspended services and special instructions for how to properly prepare your trash and recycling during this time for Eastern and Western PA residents.
• County Hauling Services, who services Greater Pittsburgh and Mon Valley also released a service alert stating that loose trash in or outside of trash cans will not be collected and they have discontinued collection of corrugated cardboard for recycling as of March 20, 2020. County Hauling also provides to additional potential contingency plans including eliminating recycling collections and/or providing roll-off containers for trash only at community centers should stricter government guidelines be implemented or “in the event of a broad infection within [a] community or within [their] drivers.”
• Republic Services, another major municipal solid waste and recycling hauler in Pennsylvania, listed similar service impacts as Waste Management on their COVID-19 Update.

Other waste collection and hauling companies or municipal programs are providing guidance and service alerts specific to their customers as well. PA Residents should continue to check their municipality’s website for more information about municipal solid waste, recycling and other service impacts and how to properly prepare refuse for collection during this time.