Recycle on the Go Success St
City of Pittsburgh Ordinance for Recycling
in Public Places
The City of Pittsburgh knows that its citizens want to recycle wherever they are, whether at home, at work, or out
and about. With the goal of doubling the amount of recyclables the city collects in 2007, city officials rewed up
efforts to promote recycling at special events, including at Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh football
games. In addition to working closely with event planners and various sports organizations, the city credits local
regulations and guidelines for helping to make recycling at special events a success.
The Bottom Line
An ordinance that
includes requirements for
recycling at special events
is worthwhile because it
helps pull materials out
of the waste stream that
would otherwise end up in
a landfill.
Writing recycling
requirements into event
permits ensures that event
coordinators are aware
that recycling is the law.
A cooperative relationship
with the city's event
permit review committee
helps the recycling
office identify the
city's approved events
and provide recycling
resources to them.
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These collapsible recycling bins are
on loan from the City of Pittsburgh
to capture beverage containers in a
festival vending area.
Program Overview
The City of Pittsburgh has made recycling at special events a key component of its overall
recycling program, using a combination carrot-and-stick approach to ensure success.
Back in 1990, the city adopted the state's guidelines for establishing a municipal recycling
program and passed a local ordinance that requires separation of white office paper,
corrugated cardboard, plastic containers, and aluminum cans from the trash generated
during community activities. These materials are to be stored until they are collected for
recycling. The city can assess fines up to $1,000 plus court costs for an initial violation
and up to $5,000 plus court costs for each additional violation.
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Recycle on the Go
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Offering assistance,
including bins, helps build
relationships between the
recycling office and event
coordinators, reinforcing
the recycling message.
Pennsylvania's Municipal
Waste Planning.
Recycling, and Waste
Reduction Act1 (Act 101)
requires municipalities
to establish a recycling
program that includes
an ordinance for persons
to separate white office
paper, aluminum,
corrugated cardboard, leaf
waste, and other materials
deemed appropriate at
community activities.
Pittsburgh's City Code
619.052 requires persons to
separate white office paper,
corrugated cardboard,
plastic containers, and
aluminum from municipal
waste at community
activities. (See section (c)
commercial, institutional,
and municipal
establishments and
community activities.)
Pittsburgh's Special
Events Recycling
Guidelines3 reiterate the
recycling requirements
and offer to provide
recycling containers
and a small trailer for
major events as well as
collection of the materials
after the event is over.
The City of Pittsburgh loans
this small trailer to event
organizers to help them recycle
during their programs.
Second, city officials developed guidelines for special events that are expected to draw
more than 200 individuals per day. The guidelines reference the local ordinance and its
requirements but also offer recycling assistance, such as providing recycling containers
and small trailers for major events. The city has about 100 containers available for loan,
and when not in use, stores them in a small warehouse next to the recycling office.
In addition, the city offers to make arrangements for collecting the materials after the
event, but event organizers are responsible for providing volunteers or staff for proper
maintenance and supervision of the containers during the event. Event organizers must
follow the procedures outlined in the city's guidelines for proper handling of collected
recyclables. Depending on the size of the event, the city may use two 9-cubic-yard trailers
and/or rear-loading dumpsters available in a few sizes. Sometimes the trailers will need to
be emptied multiple times during an event that runs for several days.
Having an ordinance is a necessary tool
to help pull materials out of the waste stream.
We work with event planners and strive to
ensure that our citizens have a recycling
option at all community events.
Shawn Wigk,
City of Pittsburgh's Acting Recycling Coordinator
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Recycle on the Go
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Outreach and Education
With a firm regulatory foundation in place, the city uses several avenues to spread the
word about the recycling requirements for special events. First, city officials posted the
city code on their Web site4. Second, they required event planners to have a solid waste
plan that includes recycling as a condition for receiving an event permit. Finally, the
review committee for an event permit now includes a representative from the Pittsburgh
Public Works Department who can further explain the recycling requirements to the
event coordinator as necessary.
An event's solid waste plan is subject to approval by the city's special events committee.
"By the end of the permit process," says Shawn Wigle, acting recycling coordinator for
the City of Pittsburgh, "the event coordinators
should be well aware that they have to
recycle." Once the city issues the permit,
the event coordinator typically contacts the
recycling office for assistance.
Challenges and Solutions
Challenge: Each year, several hundred events
may be going on, making it
difficult for the city's three-person
staff to keep track of the events
and provide resources for them.
Solution: The city's permitting office sends
copies of permit applications and
a list of approved events to the
recycling office. The recycling office usually focuses its resources on the
largest events and those that it has worked with before. The recycling office
usually supports around 100 events per year.
Challenge: Limited staff makes it difficult to enforce the recycling requirements.
Solution: The city makes promoting recycling and building relationships the focus
of its special events recycling program. By working directly with
event coordinators by phone, e-mail, and attendance at the events
themselves, city officials report that many event coordinators now
automatically e-mail or call the recycling office to ask for help.
Challenge: Offering recycling bins that work can be a challenge.
Solution: The city experimented with a variety of bins, including large totes
and trailers. Currently the city is using ClearStream® bins with
clear plastic bags. The city reports that these bins work well in most
situations because they are easy to store and transport, come with a
see-through recycling bag, and have lids with restricted openings.
Recycle on the Co U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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Facts at a Glance
Special event signs ask
event attendees to look
for the blue recycling
containers and recycle
all of their
plastic, glass,
and aluminum
beverage
containers.
The signs
are available
from the city's
recycling
office.
Information
For more information, contact the City of Pittsburgh's Public Works Recycling Division at
(412) 255-2631 or visit EPA's Recycle on the Go Web site at www.epa.gov/recycleonthego.
Endnotes
LCOME TO THE
P1TTSBURGII
VINTAGE GRAND
PRIX
MAYOR Lt
HE CITY OF PITTSBURGH
RECYCLE
LOOK FOR
THE BLUE RECYCLING
CONTAINERS and
RECYCLE ALL OF YOUR
PLASTIC, GLASS &
ALUMINUM BEVERAGE
CONTAINERS!
1 www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/
airwaste/wm/recvcle/document/
ACT101.doc
2 www.citv.pittsburgh.pa.us/pw/
assets/05_Ordinances_Chapter_619_
entire.pdf
3 www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/pw/assets/
Special_Events_Recycling_Brochure.
udf
4 www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/pw/html/
special event recvcling.html
TURN YOUR TRASH INTO CASH
All photographs courtesy of the City of Pittsburgh's
Public Works Recycling Division.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-F-07-022
September 2007
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
'Cycled/Recyclable — Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer,
Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper
Disclaimer: The mention of any company, product, or process in this publication does
not constitute or imply endorsement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA is partnering with
federal agencies, states,
municipalities, and
organizations to promote
recycling in public places.
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
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