Heat wave slows garbage pickup

Intense heat has delayed trash collection along routes in Raleigh by approximately one day, according to the city's interim director of solid waste services.
Posted 6/25/2025, 10:06:46 PM Updated 6/26/2025, 12:58:06 PM

CHANGES IN YOUR AREA. AND THAT

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>> THE CITY OF RALEIGH IS

WARNING TRASH PICKUP DELAYS ARE

POSSIBLE. YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE

WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE FOR FOR

THESE PEOPLE WORKING OUTSIDE

THIS WEEK. INTENSE HEAT FORCING

CREWS TO GET OFF THE ROAD,

ENDING THE ROUTES EARLY TO MAKE

SURE THAT THE STAFF CAN STAY

SAFE WHILE THEY'RE WORKING

OUTSIDE WRAL'S FLYNN, SNYDER

EXPLAINS HOW LONG TRASH

COLLECTION COULD BE DELAYED

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> WE'LL THE TRUCKS HERE AT

RALEIGH'S SOLID WASTE SERVICES

BUILDING OUR PART AND TAKEN OFF

THE ROADS FOR THE DAY. THE HEAT

INDEX TOO HIGH FOR CREWS TO BE

OUT COLLECTING TRASH.

IMPORTERS AND THUNDERSTORMS,

WHICH ENOUGH OF A REPRIEVE FROM

THE CITY'S SOLID WASTE CREWS

EVEN BEFORE LUNCH STAFF WERE

PULLED FROM TRASH COLLECTION

ROUTES. THE HEAT INDEX REACHING

THE 105 DEGREE THRESHOLD

>> AND 105, WE DO A CALL OUT TO

ALL OUR CREWS TO COME INTO THE

BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THAT

THEY'RE SAFE. THE ONE THAT YOU

HYDRATED ROWLEY'S, INTERIM,

SOLID WASTE SERVICES DIRECTOR

GREGORY JENKINS SAYS INTENSE

HEAT ALSO FORCED CREWS OFF THE

ROAD TUESDAY LEADING TO

COLLECTION DELAYS. RIGHT NOW WE

RUN ABOUT A DAY BEHIND THE CITY

IS URGING RESIDENTS ALONG

DELAYED COLLECTION ROUTES TO

LEAVE TRASH BINS ON THE CURB

UNTIL THEIR SERVICED.

>> JENKINS SAYS IT USUALLY

TAKES A DAY OR 2 TO CATCH UP.

WHEN WE GET BEHIND. WE KNOW

EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE ON WHAT

ROUTES NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE

OF. AND THEN WE JUST KIND OF

MOVE FROM THERE. EVEN THOUGH

MOST CABS HAVE AIR

CONDITIONING. THE CONCERN IS

FOR THOSE WHO RIGHT OUTSIDE OF

THE TRUCK, THOSE INDIVIDUALS

ARE SITTING ON THE BACK OF THE

TRUCK DRIVING THROUGH THE

NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'RE SITTING

IN THE HEAT, RIGHT. AND THEY

HAVE TO GET OUT AND WALK IN.

THE STRING WAS WORK. A HEAT

CAUSING DISRUPTIONS FOR THOSE

WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO WALK

OUTSIDE FLYNN'S TIRE. WRAL

NEWS, RALEIGH CITY ALSO WANTS

RESIDENTS TO HAVE THEIR TRASH

BINS ON THE CURB BY 06:00AM ON

COLLECTION DAY AND USE THE

© WRAL