A number of recycling companies donated N95 masks that will provide essential protection to medical workers. | Abdalrhman Usama/Shutterstock
Even as recycling companies adapt to keep their employees and businesses healthy, some are donating supplies to ensure healthcare workers are protected, as well.
Perhaps the most notable case is that of Sun Recycling, a Beltsville, Md. C&D debris recycling company that received dozens of sealed boxes a few months ago. The boxes were set aside, and when staff opened them recently, they discovered 36,000 new N95 respirator masks, according to NBCWashington.com. The company donated the masks to Washington, D.C.-area hospitals and nursing homes.
Other companies have also made sizable donations to healthcare workers in their communities. Veolia North America, which provides various energy, water and waste utility services, is dipping into its strategic supply and donating 40,000 masks to hospitals in Albuquerque, N.M.; Colton, Calif.; Houston; Montreal; New York City; and Philadelphia, according to Waste360.
A couple of companies have announced recent donations in the electronics recycling space. Sunnking, an electronics recycling company in Upstate New York, donated dozens of masks to hospitals in Rochester, N.Y. ERI, a nationwide electronics recycling company, donated 300 N95 respirator masks to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., where ERI is headquartered.
Small companies are helping out where they can, as well. In Seattle, Ridwell, a startup that collects difficult-to-recycle items, has turned its attention to collecting masks and other hygiene items for a homeless shelter, food bank, senior center and humane society, GeekWire reported.
For others interested in donating marks or other equipment, NPR ran a story about groups that are working to crowdsource masks for healthcare workers. The Wall Street Journal also published a story about how mask donations can be made.
