National Garbage Man Day 2013

We buy stuff, bring it home, and eventually we end up with an empty container/packaging or an old unwanted/worn out item. At that point we’ve got something we want to get rid of either by recycling it or discarding it as trash. For most of us, we simply put the empty bottle in our recycling bin, the read magazine in our recycling cart or the broken toy in the trash can and place the container at the curb and don’t think about it anymore. However that is only the first step of the process.

Someone has to come and empty that container(s) and take the recyclables and trash away. That is where your recycling and trash crew comes into the equation. Without someone willing to drive a truck and someone else to hang on the back and empty bins, carts and cans, we’d end up with a mountain of old unwanted stuff in front of our homes. To be honest, it’s not a job most of us would want to do.

 

When it is 95 degrees, they roll down your street and take your stuff away.
When it is 20 degrees, they roll down your street and take your stuff away.
When it is pouring rain, they roll down your street and take your stuff away.
Each day, they lift thousands of pounds as they dump bins, carts and cans into collection vehicles.
It is statistically one of the most dangerous jobs a person can have.

John Arwood, who runs Arwood Waste in Florida, believes that the humble garbage man deserves a national day of recognition and has selected June 17th to be that day. We here at Solid Waste Services agree that these hard working men and women deserve more thought and thanks from us than we generally give them. With that in mind the next time you see a worker carrying a trash can across the street, or rolling a cart to a truck, take a minute and give the worker a thank you wave and a smile. They will certainly appreciate the recognition and acknowledgement

-- G.A. Corrick, Collections Program Manager