If you’ve been trying to find somewhere in the city to take that old television that’s been sitting in the basement for years, you’re in luck.
After about a six-month-long hiatus, the electronic waste collection program will return to Pittsburgh in late May, said Alicia Carberry, who works in the recycling division of city Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Environmental Services.
Pittsburgh City Council approved funding for the program last week, and Public Works has been working since November to secure a new contractor to manage the collection program after the previous one quit.
Now, with the Pennsylvania Resource Council — the state’s longest-standing environmental nonprofit organization — as the city’s new partner, the program can start back up.
“We make it as easy as possible for people to dispose of things properly, in the right way and not continue to hoard them in bad attics and basements,” Ms. Carberry said.
Ms. Carberry said electronic waste collection is “a real need” for the city, and she’s excited to get things up and running again.
In 2020, the program collected about 144 tons of waste from televisions and computers, plus about 47 tons of other hazardous waste, like paint, she said.
Not only does the program help city residents clean up their homes, it helps keep the city clean by limiting the amount of litter.
Giving people a place to take their hard-to-dispose of items keeps electronic waste from being dumped in alleyways or other improper places to dispose of trash, Ms. Carberry said.
And now residents can also get more information on how to recycle other miscellaneous things, like styrofoam, thanks to the help of Pennsylvania Resource Council.
“Their environmental education programs and advocacy is going to be so useful to our residents,” Ms. Carberry said.
Once the program is officially up and running, Pittsburgh residents will be able to register for a 10-minute time slot to drop off their electronic or hazardous waste materials on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the city recycling center in the Strip District.
There is a nominal fee — 35 cents per pound — to leave the waste with the Pennsylvania Resource Center. The old contractor charged 40 cents per pound, Ms. Carberry said. She said the fees “are subsidized by the city” in recognition that there are few options for proper disposal of these items locally.
During the first few weeks of collection, Ms. Carberry said the program is hoping to connect with people who had scheduled appointments but who, because of the city’s issue with the previous contractor, were not able to drop off their items.
Common household items that can be taken for collection but not put out for regular garbage or recycling collection include household items like paint, pesticides or propane tanks and electronics like televisions and printers.
A full list can be found on the Pennsylvania Resource Council website, and questions about how to recycle certain items can be directed to the city’s 311 line.
Hallie Lauer: hlauer@post-gazette.com.
First Published: May 9, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: May 9, 2022, 3:39 p.m.
