Recycling on the Go

Transcript

Imagine youíre walking around Downtown Pittsburgh. And youíve just finished a can of soda. What would you do? Throw it into a trash can? Now, the City of Pittsburgh is making it easier for pedestrians to recycle. The Allegheny Frontís Violet Law has the story.

[Ambient sound of Market Square]

LAW: Itís lunch time in Market Square. Lots of people cut through the square to grab a bite or run errands. They pass by a container thatís twice as big as a Postal Service mail box. Itís the new recycling bin the city put out here for cans and bottles. But most people -- including Henry Williams -- havenít noticed it.

LAW: I see that you have a bottle in hand, may I ask you a few questions about the recycling bin over there?

WILLIAMS: Iíve never seen it before.

LAW: But once Williams realizes what the green bin is for, he thinks itís a good idea.

WILLIAMS: Thatís a good thing, if people would put it in there, put their things in there.

LAW: Thatís just what folks at the cityís Bureau of Environmental Services are hoping to hear. Besides this one in Market Square, there are two more containers Downtown. These bins are part of a pilot project to promote pedestrian friendly recycling. Eventually thereíll be twelve bins scattered across the business district. Every week a city crew services the bins and checks how much theyíve collected. This afternoon, Shawn Wigle, the cityís recycling assistant, is on the job. Wigle unlocks the bin, pulls out the bag and peers in.

WIGLE: Weíve got a good mixture of bottles and cans, it looks like.

WIGLE: There is no trash or anything like that in the recycling side. Looks like it's all bottles and cans.

LAW: So, thatís pretty good?

WIGLE: Very good.

LAW: The new bins have two slots. The left slot is for recycling; trash goes into the right. The city is testing different types of bins to see if theyíre user-friendly. One way they can tell is to look at what theyíll find in each bin. Wigle will take the content back to the cityís recycling division in the Strip District.

[packing the recyclables]

WIGLE: Weíd weigh it, check through it. Glancing into the trash it looks very well that there may be one bottle in there. So, thatís very encouraging.

LAW: Itís not just Wigle who feels encouraged. [street sweeping sound] Street cleaners also say they've seen less trash lying around since the bin is out. Jason sweeps the streets around Market Square.

JASON: Thereís definitely a lot less bottles, a lot less cans and not much paper off Market Square.

LAW: Perhaps no one should be surprised that more recycling means less trash and a cleaner environment. Thatís why the state Department of Environmental Protection pays for this pilot project under its municipal recycling program. Other places, like Dormont and State College in Centre County, have also gotten money under the program to buy curb-side recycling bins like the ones in Downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh city officials say theyíll keep tabs on the bins for the next few months to figure out which ones work best. Meanwhile, back in Market Square, Henry Williams promises that heíll do his bit by pitching in.

WILLIAMS: Sure I will, without a doubt. I think Pittsburgh should be a little beautiful. You know, I live here. Iíd like for people to keep it a little better than what they do. So Iím always willing to give a hand.

For The Allegheny Front, I am Violet Law.