The Recycling Section

• Provides information for hard to recycle items and publishes the Recycling Resource Directory
• Plans and implements special recycling programs for phonebooks, household hazardous waste and refrigerant containing appliances
• Prepares and delivers presentations to the public on recycling, composting and waste management issues
• Assists municipalities with recycling grants and technical planning

The Recycling Section was integrated into Public Drinking Water and Waste Management at the beginning of 1996.  Act 101, the State Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction Act, is the foundation of its work.  Act 101 currently requires a plan to make municipal recycling programs sustainable.  A market development program will be part of the plan.

Of the 130 municipalities in Allegheny County, 80 of them have a curbside collection program and 19 have a drop-off program.  Communities not included in the mandate to recycle are those which have a population of 5,000 or less; although, many municipalities with under 5,000 residents have chosen to participate.  The rules of Act 101 apply across the Commonwealth.

 Most residential municipal recycling programs collect a combination of the following types of items:  aluminum and steel cans, #1 and #2 plastics, clear and colored glass, and newsprint.   Businesses and institutions located in communities with mandatory recycling programs must collect cardboard, high‑grade office paper, aluminum cans, and leaf waste.

Schools, businesses, or municipalities are sometimes unsure of how to develop or manage a recycling program.  The Recycling Coordinator is available to answer questions or make site visits to offer suggestions on how best to handle a specific recycling situation.  Recycling education programs are also developed and presented.  A Recycling Resource Directory is available, which contains information on items to recycle and where to take them.

The Department is responsible for generating reports on the overall status of recycling in Allegheny County.  The information is available to all municipalities to aid in their recycling ventures.