Protesters urge Philly to stop sending trash to Chester facility to be burned

Chester residents say trash from Philadelphia burned at a local facility is polluting the air and impacting health in their community.

By Matt DeLucia • Published May 21, 2026 • Updated on May 21, 2026 at 11:27 pm

People gathered outside Mayor Cherelle Parker’s town hall meeting in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood Thursday night to protest trash being sent from the city to a facility in Delaware County.

Some Chester, Pennsylvania, residents said they are angry that Philadelphia trash is being burned at the Reworld Covanta facility in Chester.

Protesters said they want the practice to stop because they believe it is polluting the air and damaging residents’ health.

“Our issue is that Mayor Parker wants Philly to be cleaner and greener, yet you want to trash your sister community,” Zulene Mayfield, a Chester resident concerned about quality of life, said.

NBC10 reached out to Reworld for comment. In a statement, the company said it is “committed to operating its Chester facility safely, transparently and in compliance with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations.”

The company also said the facility operates well below federal emission guidelines and is continuously monitored and tested.

“We understand their concerns. The City is in the process of finishing up the negotiations with the Request for Proposals (RFP) for waste disposal. Currently, we are considering all options that include fiscal and environmental impacts in hopes to negotiate a deal that is both fiscally responsible for Philadelphia, and environmentally safe for all,” Carlton Williams, of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives said in a statement to NBC10.

Read full article here: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/protest-philadelphia-sending-trash-to-chester-to-be-burned/4406051/