PITTSBURGH, PA (September 24, 2019) Teams from thirty-four city neighborhoods and Penn Hills kept busy Saturday morning competing in Pittsburgh's 3rd Annual Garbage Olympics. Approximately 554 volunteers had two hours to pick up trash in their communities.
Members of the Mayor's Clean Pittsburgh Commission helped to organize the competition, acted as judges, and announced the winners at a closing ceremony at Threadbare Cider House in Spring Garden. Dunkin’ Donuts treated the teams to donuts, local businesses donated prizes, and Mayor Peduto will be treating the largest team to lunch.
Central Oakland organized the most volunteers: a whopping 70, and Travis in Polish Hill secured the spot for dirtiest volunteer, winning the prize of soap and a loofah.
A stuffed horse found by Sheraden Neighbors (photo aboave) won their team the strangest item award by finding a stuffed animal horse. Penn Hills won most spirit for their enthusiasm and online training video. Finally, Garfield took home the Oscar the Grouch trophy for most trash collected.
Neighborhood team photos (photo of Central Oakland below) will be posted on the Clean Pittsburgh Commission Facebook page, and can also be found by searching #GarbageOlympics across social media.
The Department of Public Works hauled the collected bags of litter and waste to the landfill, and recycled the tires and TV’s.
By the numbers:
● 554+ volunteers
● 974+ bags of garbage
● 134+ tires
● 95+ TV’s
● 15 mattresses
● 8 couches
● 6 shopping carts
● 4 pallets
● 1 fridge
● 1 dishwasher full of silverware and glass
Allentown: 100 bags, 15 TVs, 30 tires
Beechview: 30 bags, 6 TV's, 15 tires, one birdhouse
Bloomfield: 23 bags, 7 TVs, 10 tires and one refrigerator
Brighton Heights: 29 bags, 2 TVs, one tire and an umbrella
Brookline: 13 bags, 1 TV, 10 tires
California-Kirkbride: 7 bags, 9 TVs, 8 tires, furniture and a freezer
Carrick/Overbrook: 50 bags, 23 Tvs, 12 tires, and one couch
Central Oakland: 77 bags
Deutschtown: 12 bags, 4 tires and a record player
East Liberty: 42 bags, 3 TVs, 6 tires, 4 mattresses, and a satellite dish
Elliott/West End: 18 bags, 3 TVs and a playpen
Fineview/Perry Hilltop: 109 bags
Friendship: 19 bags, 1 pallet, and office furniture
Garfield: 56 bags, 6 TVs, 14 tires, 10 mattresses, and 5 pairs of rollerskates
Greenfield: 21 bags
Hazelwood: 27 bags and 4 TVs
Highland Park: 11 bags
Hill District: 10 bags and 4 tires
Homewood: 6 bags
Larimer: 12 bags
Lawrenceville: 40 bags, 10 TVs, 4 tires, 1 mattress and a bed frame
Morningside: 12 bags, 1 TV, 1 tire, 1 couch and a dishwasher full of silverware
Polish Hill: 36 bags, 2 TVs, 7 tires and a couch
Sheraden: 17 bags
South Side Slopes: 46 bags, 4 tires
Spring Garden: 2 bags and a gutter
Spring Hill: 17 bags, 3 tires
Squirrel Hill: 12 bags
Strip District: 22 bags
Troy Hill: 16 bags, 3 TVs, one tire
Penn Hills: 85 bags, one bicycle tire, one hula hoop, and a gun (which went to the police!)
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The City offers ways to responsibly dispose of tires and TV’s most days of the week. The Department of Public Works has three drop off sites for tires without rims, two at a time:
East End Drop-Off Center (2nd Division)
6814 Hamilton Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Hazelwood Drop-Off Center (3rd Division)
40 Melanchton St Pittsburgh, PA 15207
West End Drop-Off Center (5th Division)
1330 Hassler St Pittsburgh, PA 15220
DPW also now subsidizes electronics waste recycling at 3001 Railroad Ave in the Strip District on Wednesdays and Sundays. Ten 10 minute drop-off appointments can be made at ecsr.net/pittsburgh-recycling or by calling (814) 425-7773. Pick up options are available for an additional fee.
To organize your own clean-up and receive supplies from the City, register with the Department of Public Works by filling out an online or paper form, both found here:
pittsburghpa.gov/dpw/volunteer-apps/index.html or by contacting 311.
To express interest for next year's competition, email: garbageolympicspgh@gmail.com or call/text (412) 206-9482
Contacts:
Co-organizer Lena Andrews, (412) 607-1957
Co-organizer Alicia Carberry, garbageolympicspgh@gmail.com
