BATON ROUGE, LA – (JUNE 2, 2021) – It’s the type of service you rarely think about until it’s truly needed. Much like electricity for your home or fuel for your vehicle, it is easy to take garbage and trash collection services for granted, under ordinary daily circumstances.

Hurricanes and tropical storms are anything but ordinary, and residents along the central Gulf Coast are quite familiar with the dangers associated with these severe weather events.

“Following a powerful hurricane, one of the most essential needs for a community to begin recovery is the reliable return of its most vital services,” said Tricia Farace, Waste Management community relations manager – Gulf Coast Area. “That’s why at Waste Management, we spend a lot of time in the weeks and months prior to the start of hurricane season focusing on hurricane preparedness and recovery planning.”

In the event of an approaching tropical storm or hurricane, Waste Management will continue to provide collection and disposal services to its valued customers according to designated schedules, until weather conditions prohibit. Waste Management will abide by all emergency declarations and guidance given by local and state authorities after such tropical weather events to determine when and where it is safe to resume services to customers. Waste Management will provide pertinent information regarding both suspension and resumption of services to affected areas.

Helpful hints for pre- and post-storm actions:

BEFORE THE STORM:

• Secure garbage and recycling containers. Place empty containers in a secure location away from open spaces.
• Stop all yard maintenance and tree trimming activities when there is a named storm with a predicted landfall.
• Bundle and tie down all loose trash such as tree limbs, wood planks or building and roof tiles. Place these materials in a location where debris cannot become hazardous to homes and automobiles in high winds.

AFTER THE STORM:

• Place normal household garbage and trash, such as food refuse, diapers and regular household waste at curbside and separated from storm debris (caused by severe weather such as high winds, hail and rain).

• Storm debris, including tree limbs, carpet and carpet padding, aluminum and wood fencing, and household appliances should be placed curbside in separate piles, apart from the household garbage and trash.

Waste Management will post updates on its website at www.wm.com/alerts as an approaching hurricane causes closures and delays. The site is frequently updated both before and after the storm passes.

“The essential nature of garbage and trash collection to a community, is not always apparent unless collection stops,” added Farace. “Doing everything we can to prepare before, and return to service as quickly as we can, after a crisis, is what being a good community partner is all about.”