Pittsburgh receives grant for purchase of blue recycling bins

Pittsburgh has another $500,000 to purchase blue bins for its curbside recycling programs.

The Recycling Partnership, based in Virginia, approved a $500,000 grant to purchase the bins for residents. Mayor Bill Peduto earlier this year announced plans to allocate $500,000 in 2020 for bins. The money will be used to match the partnership’s grant, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Recycling has been mandatory in Pittsburgh for 28 years. The city is transitioning from blue bags to contain recyclable material to 35-gallon blue bins. City Council earlier this year approved new rules for residents to follow.

“A move away from blue bags is a perfect complement to the city’s Better Recycling, Better Burgh effort to encourage citizens to adopt bins and recycle properly,” said Rob Taylor, director of grants and community development for The Recycling Partnership. The blue plastic bags complicate the sorting process at recycling facilities.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in February approved a $300,000 grant for the city to purchase 13,000 recycling bins. In a separate program, the Pennsylvania Resource Council distributed 5,200 bins, mainly to North Side residents.

Pittsburgh officials have not yet finalized plans for distributing the bins. Residents can sign up to receive updates.

The city collects waste weekly from 115,630 residents. Recyclable material includes bundled cardboard, glass bottles, jugs and jars with lids removed, aluminum and steel cans, paper and empty plastic bottles, jugs and jars with caps removed. The city’s guidelines are published at pittsburghpa.gov/dpw/residential-recycling.