Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and County Executive Dan Onorato today announced that next week the City and the County, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project, will hold a week-long tote bag drive in honor of “America Recycles Day.” From Nov. 14-18, residents are encouraged to donate new or gently used tote bags, which will be distributed to local food pantries in an effort to reduce the use of disposable plastic and paper bags. Residents are also encouraged to make small food donations.

“The tote bag drive is a great way for residents to give back to their communities while helping Pittsburgh to be an even greener city,” said Ravenstahl. “I encourage residents to bring non-perishable canned goods in a tote bag next week to help both our environment and families in need this holiday season.”

Drop-off bins will be located at:

• The City-County Building lobby (414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, 15219)
• The Allegheny County Courthouse in the County Executive’s Office (436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, 15219)
• The Clack Center, Building #5 (3901 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, 15224)

Many families depend on food pantries and the benefits of donated bags are significant. Tote bags provide much more support than plastic or paper bags, ensuring that residents can easily transport large, heavy items. Additionally, reusable tote bags allow pantries to take the money they would have spent on purchasing bags and use it to purchase additional food.

“Our region has become a leader in environmental stewardship, and Allegheny County is proud to partner with the City and the Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project to reduce the use of disposable paper and plastic bags and to help pantries direct more funds toward the purchase of food,” said Onorato. “I encourage residents to donate reusable tote bags for this great cause.”

“America Recycles Day” takes place on November 15th, and is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. Since 1997, it has served as a day to educate and motivate community and business leaders to make better recycling choices throughout the year. As a reminder, the City-County Building also provides residents with a year-long drop-off bin for hard to recycle items such as batteries, cell phones and ink/toner cartridges.