NWRA requests waste industry to receive priority for potential COVID vaccines

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced Sept. 9 that it has filed comments with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s committee on its draft framework, “A Framework for Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus.” The draft requests the committee recognize members of the waste and recycling industry as high priorities to receive any potential COVID-19 vaccine.

“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 has classified our industry as ‘essential,’” NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith says. “Our workforce should be a high priority when it comes time to be vaccinated.”

The solid waste industry directly employs nearly 450,000 people as of mid-2020. It is estimated that the private sector waste and recycling industry accounts for more than 1 million jobs, the association says.