Not just stigma, smells, and other mild/gross annoyances. Garbage collectors are in the top ten most hazardous jobs.

Main issues:

• Repetitive stress injuries
• Spinal and disc injuries
• Slips and falls
• Traffic strikes
• Crushing injuries and pinches
• Flying debris
• Needlesticks and sharps (diseases and infections)
• Bioaerosols and molds
• Animal and insect bites
• Toxic chemical exposure and diesel exhaust
• Thermal stress
• Hearing loss

Elevated cancer risks:

• Lung
• Bladder
• Gastrointestinal and liver
• Leukemia and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Skin