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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Works Bureau of Environmental Services has been awarded a $1.66 million grant from the EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program to modernize recycling and yard waste services. For a city that has historically offered residents only twice-yearly curbside yard waste pickup alongside a year-round drop-off site, the investment signals a meaningful shift in how Pittsburgh is thinking about organics at the municipal level.

The grant will fund the purchase of two trucks dedicated specifically to yard waste routes, with the city’s Chief Operations Officer Sharon Werner indicating the goal is to move beyond the twice-a-year collection model toward more frequent pickup throughout the year. More collection frequency is one of the most consistently cited barriers to resident participation in yard waste programs; when pickup is infrequent, organics end up in the trash.

Beyond yard waste, the funding will support upgrades to the city’s recycling drop-off infrastructure, including new pavement and fencing at drop-off sites and two new cardboard compactors. The city will also distribute yard waste bags to residents and install security cameras at Department of Public Works facilities. 

Pittsburgh’s award is part of a broader $58 million SWIFR round that also directed $3.4 million to Utah’s Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District to expand a compost facility and launch new curbside organics collection bins.