While everyone tries to make it through the coronavirus pandemic together, one waste disposal company is trying to take care of its essential workers who still have to report to the job despite the stay-at-home order.
“Think about what would happen if we weren’t out there picking up the waste," Republic Services operations manager Paul Stautberg said.
Waste removal might be even more important during these times.
“We have seen a 20 to 30% increase in residential waste since the stay-at-home order has been in place,” Stautberg said.
Republic Services, which operates in Covington and parts of Cincinnati, is a national waste removal company. As a "thank you" to their essential employees the company started a program to buy its front-line workers lunch once a week from local restaurants. Thursday's meal was from Lucy's Diner, one of Republic Services' customers.
“We’re here to serve and get through this crisis and look to get back to some sort of normal soon,” Stautberg said.
The program is meant to take care of Republic's front-line workers who might need a little extra help during this pandemic, while also supporting small businesses to try and help keep them afloat.
“Our hope is these customers remain viable through this and when things start opening back up we’re ready to get back to business,” Stautberg said.
Republic is also buying family meals for workers to take home every Friday and will be handing out $100 gift cards every other week for the next two months -- hoping that money will also find its way to local companies in need of support.
“The whole idea of this is to support our employees through this and to support our local customers and communities that we serve,” Stautberg said.
The company has also taken safety precautions during the pandemic by enforcing social distancing, increasing cleaning procedures, and providing additional protective equipment for drivers.
