NWRA is disappointed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 recommendation to include waste and recycling workers in Phase 1c of听迟丑别 COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan opposed to Phase 1b as requested by NWRA and its member companies. As states move to formalize vaccine distribution, many states such as Michigan and Arizona are including waste and recycling workers in Phase 1b. NWRA will continue to work with all 50 states on this issue.
鈥淣WRA urges more states to follow the lead of Michigan and Arizona in prioritizing this critical industry that is essential to preventing the spread of disease and illness in society. The delivery of these services impacts all healthcare, residential, commercial and industrial properties on a daily basis, necessitating them to receive prioritization,鈥� said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. 鈥淢odern society cannot function without an efficient waste removal operation.鈥�
NWRA has consistently advocated for the waste and recycling industry to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as our workers have remained working on the frontlines during the pandemic. During this national emergency, at the request of NWRA, the Department of 国产麻豆land Security鈥檚 Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Administration classified waste collection workers as 鈥渆ssential鈥� under five different 鈥淓ssential Critical Infrastructure Workers鈥� categories. Waste and Recycling workers were also placed on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine鈥檚聽COVID-19 vaccine priority list聽in response to a request from the Association.