City of Tuscaloosa to Recognize Garbage Man Appreciation Day June 17

The City of Tuscaloosa Environmental Services Department will recognize Garbage Man Appreciation Day Wednesday, June 17.

The local day of recognition, as part of a national campaign, will highlight the importance of waste management professionals and offer recognition for these hard-working men and women in the City of Tuscaloosa.

“The work sanitation employees do can be very dangerous,” said Shane Daugherty, director of the City of Tuscaloosa Environmental Services Department. “Our employees work in and around traffic, operate heavy machinery and get close to very hazardous material. The dangers are real.”

The focal point of Garbage Man Appreciation Day will be a collection of over 400 “thank you” notes and drawings on display at the Environmental Services Complex throughout the week of June 17. Children who toured the Complex throughout the past month were asked to create these notes and drawings as a way of showing their appreciation for ESD employees.

The City of Tuscaloosa will also feature a social media campaign geared at helping the public recognize and appreciate the work sanitation workers and drivers do every week.

“The work these employees do matters to all of us,” said Ashley Chambers, ESD’s environmental educator. "This industry is often overlooked because most garbage, trash, recycling and litter collection happens when people are still asleep, at work or at school. Without solid waste collection and sanitation workers, Tuscaloosa would look very different.”

For more information about Garbage Man Appreciation Day call Tuscaloosa 311 at 205-248-5311 or visit garbagemanday.com.