Pursuant to Empire State Development Corporation’s Guidance on Executive Order 202.6, “trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal services” are considered essential business or entities that are not required to reduce in-person workforce by 100%. The exclusion includes collection, transportation, processing and disposal activities for any solid wastes, regulated medical waste, hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes and other associated waste categories. This also includes all recyclables including redemption of bottle bill containers.
The NYSDEC has Announced that it will not actively enforce violations at facilities unable to fulfill bottle bill redemption operations due to resource restrictions during the ongoing COVID-19 response efforts.
The agency said it recognizes that unintended consequences of the COVID-19 response may make full compliance with requirements challenging for certain facilities and may result in temporary disruptions to required redemption operations.
Redemption of containers is considered an essential service and NYSDEC said that redemption centers should implement appropriate social distancing practices whenever and wherever possible.