Pittsburgh announces changes to curbside trash and recycling collection for 2024
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As we look forward to 2024, changes are coming for Pittsburgh's curbside trash and recycling collection.
Starting on January 1 you'll notice two changes:
The first is the city will no longer accept recycling in plastic bags.
The second is those cardboard boxes you have from moving, or online holiday shopping will no longer be picked up on non-recycling days.
The Department Public Works Bureau of Environmental Services said in the past, the city would collect those boxes on nonscheduled days, to keep the streets clean.
However, in 2024, the city says this will no longer happen. Since clean cardboard boxes are recyclable, the boxes will be treated the same as recycling bins full of bottles and cans.
Cardboard boxes must be flattened and bundled. They must be manageable sizes, and placed inside the blue bins everyone uses for recycling. Then those bins must be placed outside only on designated weeks.
Also, there's a 35-gallon limit, on the big cans.
Shawn Wigle is the Superintendent of the Bureau of Environmental Services.
"We want that material to go to recycling," he said. "We get paid for that material. If we have to landfill it unfortunately there's a cost to the city. So, with everybody getting deliveries now it's something we really want to take advantage of it."
"You know we want to reduce the level of litter but also reduce those negative environmental impacts," said Tobias Raether, the Environmental Enforcement Manager.
As far as those plastic bags go, residents should place recyclables loosely in their recycle bin, at the curb. To help you out, maybe use a basket or bag in your home to collect those recyclables, so you have fewer trips. It'll help you dump them loosely into the curbside recycling bin at one time.
Residents are encouraged to review the 2024 recycling and reuse calendar for their designated recycling weeks.
You can also type PGH.St into any website browser and search for your address for your recycling dates.
Any recycling on the curb in plastic bags will not be picked up and it may be considered a violation.
The first violation is a warning, the second violation will cost you 100 dollars, and every violation after is $250.