The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) submitted a letter to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to prioritize the solid waste and recycling sector to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
ACIP is meeting on Tuesday, December 1 to discuss which industries' employees should be prioritized for the vaccines. The solid waste and recycling sector is an essential industry as identified in March 2020 by the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Administration (CISA). The sector also has been listed as essential in every emergency order issued at the state level in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"With the CDC's key advisory committee meeting this week to discuss which sectors of the economy should be prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, it is critical for the CDC and the committee to understand why our industry should be high on the priority list. Both public sector and private sector personnel have demonstrated they are essential during the pandemic, and need to be vaccinated as quickly as possible," stated David Biderman, SWANA's Executive Director & CEO.
SWANA's letter to the CDC noted that a substantial portion of the employees in the solid waste and recycling sector are persons of colour who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These essential workers are often unable to socially distance because of the work they perform (e.g., multiple employees frequently ride in a solid waste or recycling collection truck; sorters at recycling facilities).
More from Industry News
Sponsored
Brought to you by:
Discover the main features of a reliable & efficient baler
Single-Ram and II-Ram High-Capacity Balers
At Machinex, we've been designing sorting systems for over 35 years, so we know how essential it is for MRF operators to have a baler they can trust and not worry about its operational reliability. This is why we design and manufacture reliable single-ram and II-ram high-capacity balers to specifically help optimize their operations.
Watch the video of our expert who presents the main features of Machinex balers delivering these important benefits:
- Easy & accessible maintenance
- Reduced maintenance & bale handling costs
- Energy savings
- Optimal bale density
Sponsored
Brought to you by:
How to streamline C&D waste processing to increase profitability
For C&D recyclers, waste haulers, demolition contractors and landfills, there is a growing opportunity to profit from rethinking processes. Although every operation is different, by streamlining the front end of the C&D operation processes with purpose-built technologies, recyclers can tap into new end markets, accommodate higher material volumes, stay ahead of regulatory restrictions, increase recovery rates and add commodity revenue, while decreasing labor and other costs.
Download the new eBook to learn about:
- Finding opportunities in the alternative to landfilling C&D
- How facilities can increase their profits from C&D
- Using the right C&D processing technology in the right locations
