The City of Thomasville is proud to join other cities across the country to recognize Waste & Recycling Workers Week, celebrated June 13-18. This week-long recognition honors individuals in the solid waste industry for their hard work and dedication to keeping communities safe and healthy.
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Georgia Chapter hopes this week will bring awareness to protect solid waste workers and elevate the importance of their tasks for Georgia residents.
“Solid waste workers may not be able to bend steel with their bare hands or leap tall buildings in a single bound, but they collect trash, recycling, and compostables in all types of weather to protect our health and safety,” said Suki Janssen, SWANA Georgia Chapter president. Janssen stated that solid waste workers are employed in the sixth most dangerous profession in the United States.
Whether working at the landfill, picking up yard debris, or driving a truck to pick up your trash each week, solid waste workers are on the front line every day to protect our health and sustain our environment from the problems of unmanaged waste. They even perform efficiently and effectively in the hot Georgia heat this time of year.
“Waste management is an invaluable public health service. Our Solid Waste and Landfill staff work daily to make sure waste is collected and disposed of, and our community is clean and safe,” said Assistant City Manager Chris White. “Though they work behind the scenes in many situations, their work does not go unnoticed, and we encourage the public to help us celebrate and thank them this week.”
From June 13-18, there are many ways residents and businesses can show support and appreciation for the men and women in solid waste services. Suggestions include:
- Greet your pickup driver with a cold bottle of water.
- If you have children, help them make a thank you card.
- Call the Solid Waste office to express thanks or give a compliment about your service.
- Wave to your collector to show your awareness and appreciation of their efforts.
- Express thanks and appreciation with a chalk drawing on your sidewalk or driveway.
The City of Thomasville will recognize its Solid Waste department throughout the week on social media. Follow along at Facebook.com/CityofThomasville. For more information on how to join the City of Thomasville Solid Waste team, please visit Thomasville.org or call Human Resources at 229-227- 7001