Waste and recycling industry placed on COVID priority list

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced Oct. 5 that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NAS) committee included the waste and recycling industry in its list of recommended industries to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 2 along with other industries identified as representing critical workers. NAS released the final report on Oct. 2 of a consensus study recommending a four-phased equitable allocation framework that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and state, tribal, local and territorial (STLT) authorities should adopt in the development of national and local guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine allocation.

NWRA was the only trade association representing the waste and recycling industry to submit comments, the association says.

“We are pleased that the NAS committee included our industry in Phase 2. The waste and recycling industry is crucial for society to function while keeping additional disease at bay. During this global pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security classified our industry as 'essential' at our urging,” NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith says.