Augusta County Regional Landfill sees increase in residential trash during pandemic

People around the Shenandoah Valley have started their spring cleaning. While the Augusta County Regional Landfill typically sees an increase in traffic during this season, they say this year has been particularly busy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff has been practicing social distancing, and they are encouraging it with customers.

With more people home and more time on their hands, the landfill is seeing an increase in residential trash of 25 to 30 percent, and trash from businesses has gone down.

"I think we're seeing a lot more of it come through the household right now because restaurants are closed and it's coming through curbside service and people bringing it to us," Greg Thomasson, Director of Solid Waste Management for the Augusta County Service Authority, said.

He said it's been so busy at certain times that it has been a challenge getting people in and out of the dump.

"When we get to capacity sometimes, it's just difficult to even take a break of any kind. Some of the scale operators have had difficulty taking a lunch break because there's no relief completely," Thomasson said.

He said the increased traffic at landfills is something that is happening across the nation.

The Augusta County Regional Landfill is busiest around lunchtime on Saturdays, so Thomasson suggests that people try to get there either earlier in the morning, or later in the afternoon or sometime during the week.