Some city residents could receive blue recycling bins thanks to a state grant.
Pittsburgh City Council introduced a resolution Tuesday to approve a $350,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection — a portion of which could be used to purchase 13,000 bins, according to Mayor Bill Peduto’s office.
The bins would be distributed over the next two years.
The city has yet to decide how much of the $350,000 grant would go toward purchasing the bins or which residents would receive them first.
Recycling experts encourage the use of bins over the the blue bags that city residents have been instructed to use for years. Plastic bags often gum up the sorting machines at recycling facilities and just end up in landfills.
“The blue bags can be problematic, but we also realize that the cost of buying a bin can be a challenge for residents, which is one reason why we're expanding the free bin program,” said Timothy McNulty, the mayor’s spokesman.
In a separate pilot program, the Pennsylvania Resources Council distributed 5,200 recycling bins to city residents on the North Side. The pilot program is still active, and residents can request a bin by calling 412-488-7490.
First Published: February 12, 2019, 10:18 p.m.