Community

The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent jump in cases due to the Omicron variant are having major impacts on the waste industry. Issues range from employee callouts from sickness or exposure to COVID, a scarcity of CDL drivers, vehicle parts and equipment delays, and general staffing shortages that have affected nearly every industry. Here at ACUA, we continue to be challenged by the lingering effects of COVID.

Absecon residents received new recycling carts in September. The recycling carts were funded in part by a grant through the Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit organization that works with city governments nationwide to transform their recycling programs. Part of the grant allowed the opportunity for a curbside inspection project meant to educate the community about proper recycling and improve the quality of recycling collected. After four weeks of recycling inspections, the data showed significant and positive results

Food waste is a major source of the organic matter that is landfilled. The NJDEP estimates that food waste makes up about 25% of the municipal solid waste stream. The decomposition of organic matter is one of the main sources of methane emissions from municipal solid waste, which contributes to climate change. By making small changes in our everyday lives, we can reduce the amount of food waste we create.