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City of Orangeburg to suspend curbside recycling due to driver shortage

Public Works need people with commercial driver's licenses.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — The City of Orangeburg is suspending curbside recycling services as a result of the current labor shortage.

"We're always struggled to try to get good help here with CDL drivers," said Dean Felkel, the City of Orangeburg's public works director. "We need CDL drivers."

Specifically, public works need people with commercial driver's licenses who can operate the trucks.

"We try to keep the commercial and the resident sanitation," said Felkel. "Recycling is the one we feel can go first."

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The director of public works said the reason for the temporary hold is because they do not have enough drivers to provide various sanitation services. He said he needs about nine drivers to be at the sweet spot to operate fully, but the pandemic and the competition of private companies are presenting challenges.

Credit: Devin Johnson

"We have to have a certain number of trucks every day. Without enough drivers; then something got to go," Felkel said.

The suspension of recycling services begins Oct. 18 until further notice.

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