Coronavirus forces some Fort Worth area cities to go without bulky waste pickup
Republic Services, a company that picks up garbage and recycling in cities including Hurst, Arlington, Haslett and Benbrook, suspended brush and bulky waste pickup until further notice.
Kara McKinney, a Hurst spokeswoman, said Republic Services notified the city last week.
“There is a high demand because so many are staying home right now,” she said.
According to a Facebook post from the City of Hurst, “unlike in a typical emergency, all areas of the country are affected and Republic is unable to bring in additional staff and equipment from other regions to assist with demand”.
Republic Services will continue to pick up garbage and recycling placed on the curb.
In an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the company asked people to be patient as it deals with high demand for trash pickup and it also tries to keep employees safe.
The company did not provide information to the Star-Telegram on how much of an increase there is in garbage collection as result of more people staying home.
“We recognize the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation is evolving rapidly, and we are continuously evaluating the situation to ensure we can help keep our employees healthy and safe while continuing to provide superior service and support to our customers across the country”, the company said in the email.
Republic Services also stated that residents should check with their cities for the status of bulky waste and brush pickup.
In Arlington, residents were informed in the city’s website that the brush and bulky waste wasn’t getting picked up.
“Due to the expected increase in residential trash volumes, crews must focus on collecting normal household materials that pose a health risk to the community.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 12:40 PM.