What types of material does the city accept for recycling?
The City of Pittsburgh currently accepts the following materials for curbside recycling and at our drop-off centers:
Plastic containers: bottles, jugs, and jars (all 3 gallons or less).
Metal containers: empty aluminum, aerosol, and steel cans. Please leave labels on and discard the lids or leave them attached to can.
Glass containers: Amber, blue, red, green, and clear bottles, jugs and jars (all 3 gallons or less).
Mixed paper: office paper, newspaper, magazines, books, catalogs, junk mail, phone books, and paperboard.
Flatten, bundle, and place cardboard into another box or bin for collection.
Please empty and rinse all containers, remove and discard all lids and caps.
The City no longer uses plastic numbers 1-5 & 7 due to changes in the market. We are encouraging all residents to think neck-shape bottles for plastics since those are marketed commodities. We are also accepting plastic tubs that are similar to sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, and yogurt containers beginning January 2025. The City of Pittsburgh does not accept plastic clamshells (generally a #1 plastic) such as berry, salad, or other to-go plastic containers in the recycling stream. They are brittle and our recycling processor does not accept them. Furthermore, the City does not accept ‘’extra’’ plastic bags, cartons, or any other plastic that is not a bottle, jug, or jar at this time.