The city of El Paso, Texas, has announced that it is suspending its curbside recycling collections and its opt-in recycling programs until further notice starting Dec. 1. An announcement on the city’s Environmental Services webpage states that the suspension is because of impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city’s workforce. The city plans to continue collecting trash on its regular schedule.
El Paso’s Environmental Services Director Ellen Smyth told El Paso-based KVIA-TV that the department has a driver shortage related to COVID-19. She told KVIA-TV that the city’s staff of 82 solid waste truck drivers has dropped to 60.
The city is recommending residents take recyclable items to one of the city’s five collection sites.