Burlington County Recycling Hit Hard By Truck Driver Shortage

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — A shortage of qualified and trained drivers has had a negative impact on recycling throughout Burlington County, officials said on Tuesday.

Last month, multiple recycling truck drivers left the Occupational Training Center of Burlington County for other employment, according to county officials.

This left the nonprofit that collects and sorts the county’s recyclables severely shorthanded, county officials said.

The Occupational Training Center specializes in training and employing individuals with disabilities. It has run the county’s recycling program since 1982.

Recycling operations will remain shorthanded for several weeks, while replacement drivers are hired and trained.

The shortage has resulted in numerous changes in the curbside recycling collection schedule for all towns.

It’s an issue impacting recycling collection nationwide, as the shortage of recycling drivers is at its highest point in 15 years, according to the Solid Waste Association of North America.

The defection of truck drivers is due to an aging workforce, occupational hazards and increased demand from e-commerce, according to the association.

“The increased competition for truck drivers has made retention difficult,” Burlington County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling Director Jerome Sheehan said. “We’ve taken steps to help OTC recruit replacements, but it takes some time to get everyone trained and familiar with the recycling vehicles. We’re asking residents to be patient and aware of the schedule changes as we try to work through the next several weeks.”

Officials strongly encourage residents to download the free Recycle Coach app, which has the most up-to-date information about schedule changes for the 38 towns receiving curbside recycling collection service.
The Recycle Coach app can be downloaded from iTunes or the GooglePlay app stores. For residents without smart phones, a PC/Laptop version is available at www.co.burlington.nj.us/1602/Recycle-Coach. More than 30,000 county residents have downloaded the app.
Residents are also encouraged to make use of the recycling drop-off sites located in their towns. A list of municipal locations is available here.

Burlington County officials noted that they collect recycling in all 40 municipalities and is one of the few counties in New Jersey to provide the service free-of-charge to homeowners and towns.

In 2020, more than 39,600 tons of paper, cardboard, bottles and cans were collected and recycled from county residents.

Residents with questions about the recycling schedule can call the OTC recycling hotline, 609-267-2889, the County Recycling Office at 609-499-1001 or email recycle@co.burlington.nj.us. Recycling makeup dates will also be posted schedule updates at www.burlcorecycles.com.