It also may be combined, according to residents.

The Philadelphia Streets Department Commissioner Carlton Williams announced that they are experiencing trash and recycling delays due to the recent COVID-19 surge. The department cannot provide a specific number of days that they will be behind due to the fluctuation of employees.

However, the Streets Department is also encouraging residents to set out trash and recycling on their regular collection day. They also are encouraging residents to check the progress of collections on their block by licking “PickupPHL” on the StreetSmart website.

We anticipates collection delays citywide for the week of January 3. We foresee these challenges moving into the following weeks as we work through COVID-19 infections and quarantining in our workforce. pic.twitter.com/Xar5L1AtJ3

— philastreets (@PhilaStreets) January 4, 2022

According to residents on Twitter (and my own account by looking out my window), trash and recycling are being combined in neighborhoods across the city. The Streets Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Green Philly has previously covered problems (and blame) for trash and recycling delays within the Streets Department, between the weather, COVID-19 and home projects.

array(3) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#12730 (10) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(647)
    ["name"]=>
    string(9) "recycling"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(9) "recycling"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(651)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "post_tag"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(0)
    ["count"]=>
    int(46)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#10366 (10) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(1095)
    ["name"]=>
    string(18) "Streets Department"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(18) "streets-department"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(1103)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "post_tag"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(0)
    ["count"]=>
    int(15)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
  }
  [2]=>
  object(WP_Term)#10413 (10) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(762)
    ["name"]=>
    string(5) "trash"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(5) "trash"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(766)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "post_tag"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(0)
    ["count"]=>
    int(13)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
  }
}

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher