Editor’s note: This article is the second installment in a three-part series on evolving safety threats facing waste and recycling industry workers. Read part one here.
Waste and recycling industry workers get hurt at more than twice the rate of the average private-sector employee. This is not to say waste-collection companies have neglected safety.
A market.us report found in 2025 that just more than half of the global garbage truck fleet featured automatic arms.
This helps reduce safety incidents due to workers handling fewer receptacles and avoiding traffic, said Kristyn Oldendorf, senior director of public policy and communications for the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), an industry professional association.
Some companies are taking additional steps toward a safer work environment.
Republic Services lowered injury incidents about 9% from the year prior. Aiding in that was the installation of a collision avoidance system that recognizes unfocused driving behavior and potential environmental risk. It gives the driver real-time, in-cab audio alerts. The technology was in more than 13,000 Republic trucks as of 2024, according to the company’s 2024 Sustainability Report.
WM, meanwhile, reduced its overall worker injury rate by 6% from 2023 to 2024, according to the company’s 2025 Sustainability Report. Company leaders enhanced its onboarding safety training to reduce injuries while monitoring compliance and assessing risk potential. The company has also launched a serious injury and fatality pilot program to help employees identify and address potential hazards before they lead to serious injuries.
WM also became a corporate partner with SWANA in February 2026. WM will take part in SWANA events and help the organization in its safety efforts.
“WM provides essential services to communities across North America, and with SWANA we are able to provide additional industry insight and support to our municipal customers,” said Susan Moulton, WM’s senior director, public sector solutions. “We look forward to working with SWANA to help solve important issues that affect recycling, landfills, collections and other aspects of our industry.”
Tech lends a hand
Industry leaders say artificial intelligence is showing promise for enhancing safety. Robotic recycling and waste containers that come to the vehicle, thus not requiring a worker to leave the vehicle, are showing promise to help avoid struck-by incidents and slip-and-fall accidents, said Mike Marino, safety director at the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA).
Telematics and sensor systems are increasingly common on trucks, said Michael E. Hoffman, president and CEO of the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA). AI can also be used for equipment and automated quality control.
“AI-supported technologies can reduce worker exposure to risks by identifying issues earlier and supporting more automated and predictable operations,” Oldendorf said.
AI can assist in bringing to reality the steps Hoffman wants waste management companies to make to improve worker safety. Others include:
● Data-driven prevention to record indicators such as near-misses and prompt corrective action
● Traffic controls such as improved routing, backing reduction and in-cab/360 cameras
● Serious injury and fatality prevention frameworks that promote organizational responsibility for machine guarding, lockout discipline and other industry hazards
“Risk factors on the route are on the rise: more traffic density, distracted drivers, e-mobility in blind spots,” he said. “The composition of the waste stream is adding more risk as e-commerce packaging increases, more single-use packing leads to contamination.”
AI’s reach is growing in the recycling sector. Companies are employing AI-enhanced sorting and infrastructure improvement, and machines are learning how to self-diagnose and maintain – functions that could keep humans out of harm’s way.
AI can also keep humans away from sorting hazards such as lithium-ion batteries. But machines work best in conjunction with enhanced education. Marino said his organization co-hosted a safety poster/video contest with JASON Learning about battery recycling, showing children nationwide how to properly recycle them.
Hoffman said the NWRA is launching a “Safety First” webinar series with Waste Today GIE Media Group and launching the “Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In” PSA campaign. And in addition to SWANA’s work with Griffith, that organization hosted a safety workshop in March 2026 in Washington, DC to give safety leaders a plan and support network.
“Progress is being made, but it is uneven,” Oldendorf said. “Advances in vehicle technology, automation and training have improved safety outcomes in many of our industry’s operations. At the same time, workforce shortages, aging infrastructure and evolving waste streams continue to introduce new risks. Safety improvements require sustained investment, consistent training and leadership focus, which can be challenging in a rapidly changing operating environment.”
