The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unexpected results and consequences; one of those is environmental, specifically trash, waste and unwanted junk.Kathy Andrew, El Paso County Community Services Department Environmental Division Manager, said the El Paso County Household Hazardous Waste Facility closed for six weeks starting in mid-March. She said they donít track monthly numbers, but will know in August how much waste was accumulated from May (when they reopened) to present.They anticipated an increase in volume when they reopened since people were quarantined at home and involved in house and yard projects. The department implemented a by-appointment-only drop-off process to deal with the increase. Andrew said they plan to continue with the appointment process, as it is working and prevents long lines. Visit their website to make an appointment: https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/environmental-division/household-hazardous-waste/.One manís junk is another manís treasureBradd Hafer, Goodwill of Colorado Communications Manager, said their retail stores were closed from March 24 to May, but the in-store donation centers were open throughout the quarantine. He said they remained open because donations help fund their programs and services; and, they were concerned that if people didnít have appropriate places to dispose of their goods, it could cause a public safety or environmental issue. Hafer said the amount of donation drop-offs have now declined, but the volume has almost doubled from what they would traditionally see during the same time period. ìInstead of sedans, people were dropping donations off by the truckloads,î he said.ìWeíre in a different world with all the state regulations, including limited customer capacity in the store, one-way aisles and social distancing; and that has created other unintended consequences. With doubled volume increases, plus decreased store hours, we are amassing quite a volume of donations. Weíre trying as good stewards to get them into retail instead of being backlogged in trailers, trucks and containers.îThey temporarily closed the stand-alone donation containers to allow the workers an opportunity to catch up, but they plan to reopen them again the beginning of July, he said. ìDonations are our primary lifeline and launching point for the programs and services we provide for individuals with disabilities and disadvantages,î Hafer said. Visit their website for new phased-in hours and safety measures: https://www.discovermygoodwill.org/open/One manís trash is another manís hazardVicki Gomes, Waste Management Communication Specialist, said, ìWith people staying at home more during the health crisis, we have seen a large increase in the amount of residential trash.î She said people tackled yard and clean-out projects earlier this year. Trash from the commercial side has slowed and the volume is now from residential areas, Gomes added. ìOur teams have stepped up and are doing an exceptional job during these difficult times,î she said. ìOne way residents can help keep everyone safe is to ensure all trash is bagged and securely tied so that materials do not fall out during service. This practice is always important, but significantly more so if there is a positive case of COVID in a household.îThey encourage residents and businesses to continue to ëRecycle Rightí during the health crisis. Go to https://www.wm.com/us/en/recycle-right for more information. Gomes said, ìProduct manufacturing supply chains still need quality recycled raw materials to produce paper products, food packaging and medical supplies.î She said several leading industry organizations have weighed in and are calling for increased recycling to help meet the needed demand during this time. These organizations include
- The American Forest and Paper Association
- The Association of Plastic Recyclers
- The Institute of Scrap Metal Recyclables
- The Recycling Partnership
