The City of Tuscaloosa is taking time to recognize the hard work of its sanitation service employees. Garbage Man Appreciation Day will be held this week in T-Town.

Here's more from the City of Tuscaloosa's press release:

The day of recognition, held annually on June 17 as part of a national campaign, will highlight the importance of waste management professionals while showing gratitude for these hard-working men and women in the City of Tuscaloosa who collect and dispose of garbage and trash for about 100,000 customers; collect, sort and process recyclables from homes and drop-off trailers used by over 200,000 Tuscaloosa area residents; and collect litter from City rights of way.

“Solid waste collection is consistently one of the most dangerous jobs in the country,” said Stacy Vaughn, director of public services. “Our employees work in and around traffic, operate heavy machinery and get close to hazardous material every day on the job.”

The City of Tuscaloosa is joining the effort and is featuring a campaign to recognize the work the drivers and sanitation collection workers do each week – rain, shine, sleet, snow, hot or cold.

The Curry Environmental Services Complex is open for tours year-round, and has already had more than 1,500 visit the recycling plant this year alone.

“Without solid waste collection crew workers and drivers, Tuscaloosa would look very different,” said Ashley Chambers, environmental educator for the City of Tuscaloosa. “This industry is often overlooked because most garbage, trash, recycling and litter collection happens when people are still asleep, at work or at school. Our crews sometimes have a thankless job but the work they do affects our daily lives.”

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