PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If your trash hasn't been picked up on time lately in Philadelphia, the Department of Streets is aware, and they're apologizing for delays.
According to the department, pandemic-related staff shortages are a big reason for delayed pickups.
This week, however, the department is still telling city residents to put out trash and recyclables on normal collection days.
They ask if your trash isn't picked up right away, to avoid calling 3-1-1 unless it's been on the curb for more than 48 hours.
KYW Newsradio spoke to some residents who didn't see this as a major issue. Theresa Brown, however, called the delays "frustrating."
"Because you have to sit here just smelling the stench of the trash sitting there, day after day," she said.
"Because you don't want to keep it in the house because it smells up your whole house, so you have to leave it out and watch the cats go through it and everything, so it's frustrating."
Brown said she's dealt with garbage pickup delays before, but those weren't as bad as one her sister recently faced.
"They had to wait more days because their trash pickup was on Friday, so they were supposed to come Saturday, but they never came," she said, "so they had to wait until Monday, so they had the smell through the whole weekend, so they had to bring it back in."
The department says it is working to bring on more employees as soon as possible.
They also encourage residents they can take trash to Sanitation Convenience Centers as another option, which are open seven days a week.