Fatalities in the recycling industry have increased from 31 in 2017 to 37 a year later.
According to data released by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), refuse and recycling material collection is the fifth most fatal occupation in the country.
Refuse and recyclable material businesses saw the mortality rate for the industry change from 34 per 100,000 to 44 per 100,000 between 2017 and 2018. As a private industry, the mortality rate rose from 27 deaths in 2017 to 49 in 2018, 75pc of which occurred in transportation accidents.
As a result, the National Waste and Recycling Association has spent the last four years lobbying a piece of legislation called Slow Down to Get Around, adopted by more than 30 states. According to this legislation, motorists are required by law to slow down around stationary waste and recycling collection vehicles as workers constantly get on and off.