Trash companies overwhelmed by residential volume amid coronavirus pandemic

A bicyclist rides past a pile of trash in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood on March 25.(Gene J. Puskar/AP)

They haven’t been canned, but they’re still stuck holding the bag.

Waste management companies have been overwhelmed by the amount of residential trash produced as people stay home during the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported.

One large trash company, Republic Services, said it expects waste volume to increase by 30%, according to CNN. Dozens of communities across the country have suspended recycling and yard waste pickup because there’s simply too much trash.

“It’s just a nightmare,” Barney Shapiro, owner of Tenleytown Trash which operates in the Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas, told CNN. “People are calling in and asking for increased services. We can’t do that on a short-term basis.”

Many employees have called in sick as well, CNN reported. Companies have struggled to get workers the necessary protective equipment amid a nationwide shortage.

To compensate for the lack of workers and money, some trash collectors have shifted away from commercial routes where businesses are closed, according to CNN.

Nearly half a million people have now tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S., according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. More than 18,000 people have died from the disease as of early Friday night.