Garbage Man Appreciation Day
The City of Tuscaloosa Environmental Services Department (ESD) is supporting the national campaign to recognize Garbage Man Appreciation Day the week of June 12th – 16th. Garbage Man Appreciation Day (celebrated nationally on June 17th) highlights the importance of waste management professionals and offers recognition for these hard working men and women. www.garbagemanday.com
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Solid Waste collection is consistently one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. Our employees work in and around traffic, operate heavy machinery, and get close to very hazardous material every day on the job. The dangers are real. When a citizen calls with questions or visits the recycling plant during a tour, our priority is to educate and inform them on the real necessity of this work force and the dangers our crews face daily. Educating the public keeps our crews safer on the routes." Quote from Stacy Vaughn, City of Tuscaloosa Public Services Director
The City of Tuscaloosa is joining the effort and is featuring a campaign to recognize the work the drivers and sanitation collection workers do each week – rain, shine, sleet, snow, hot or cold.
The City of Tuscaloosa Environmental Services Department is open for tours year-round, and has already had more than 1,500 visit the recycling plant this year alone.
“Most groups come to our facility to see the recycling plant – but they also learn about the workforce who picks up our garbage and where that garbage ends up. I begin every tour with a simple question: “Who cleans up after us?”
Without solid waste collection crew workers and drivers, we can all agree that Tuscaloosa would look very different. This industry is often overlooked because most garbage, trash, recycling, and litter collection happens when people are still asleep, at work, or at school.
Our crews sometimes have a ‘thankless job’ – but the work they do affects our daily lives. We know Tuscaloosa citizens and residents appreciate them every single day, and this is the time of year we ask everyone to just say, ‘Thank You’”
Quote from Ashley Chambers, City of Tuscaloosa Environmental Educator
About ESD: The City of Tuscaloosa Environmental Services Department is responsible for the collection and proper disposal of garbage and trash from approximately 100,000 residential and non-residential City garbage customers. ESD’s recycling division sorts and processes recyclables collected from customers, and well as recycling drop-off trailers placed county-wide and used by over 200,000 City and County residents. To help keep our community clean, crews collect litter from public rights of way in the city limits, ESD employs a full-time code environmental code officer to enforce City code, dispatches a cart and bin delivery crew, and employs an environmental educator to promote ESD programs and events. For more information about the City of Tuscaloosa’s Environmental Services Department, call Tuscaloosa 311 (205-248-5311) or visitwww.tuscaloosa.com/ESD
Photo courtesy of garbagemanday.org