PITTSBURGH, PA (September 28, 2020) Thirty-eight neighborhood teams and Penn Hills kept busy Saturday morning competing in Pittsburgh's 4th Annual Garbage Olympics. More than 774 volunteers had two hours to pick up trash in their communities.
Members of the Mayor's Clean Pittsburgh Commission helped to organize, fund, and judge the competition, and Mayor Peduto announced the winners at a virtual “Closing Ceremony” on YouTube.
Long-time community organizers as well as fresh faces acted as captains for the neighborhood teams, with City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith at the helm of the Crafton Heights/Ridgemont/Westwood team, and City Park Rangers leading a Frick Park team.
A magical unicorn found by the East Liberty Trash Warriors won for strangest item while California-Kirkbride boasted the dirtiest volunteer.
Outside City limits but joining for the second year, Penn Hills again won the most spirit award for their enthusiasm in a choreographed routine.
Finally, Carrick took home the 1st place trophy for most trash collected, where 45 volunteers scrounged up 91 bags of trash, 62 tires, 86 TVs, 3 shopping carts, 2 fridges, satellite dishes, lawn mowers, fridges, a couch, and an exercise bike.
2nd place - Elliott had 12 volunteers collecting 120 bags of trash, 5 tires, 2 TVs, hubcaps and other car parts, furniture, and a pallet of shingles.
3rd place - Allentown had 40 volunteers that collected 75 bags of trash, 100 tires, 20 TVs, and a freezer.
The Department of Public Works hauled the trash piles to the landfill and the tire stacks to be recycled. The City’s hard-to-recycle vendor Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling collected the electronic waste to properly dispose.
In total:
- 38 neighborhood teams
- 774+ volunteers
- 1,129+ bags of garbage
- 670+ tires
- 254+ TVs
- 12 shopping carts
- 6 couches
- 5 refrigerators
- 5 mattresses
- 4 lawnmowers
- 2 satellite dishes
- 1 jukebox
Team photos have been posted on the Clean Pittsburgh Commission Facebook page and can also be found by searching #PGHGO or #garbageolympics across social media.
More of the Department of Public Works’ anti-litter initiatives can be found on the City website here: https://pittsburghpa.gov/dpw/litter-dumping/.
Last year’s results can be found here: 2019.
Photo courtesy of Debbie Reed, California-Kirkbride team captain and Beechview’s strangest items (below)
Mt. Oliver City’s team spirit
Strangest item award-winning magical unicorn as found by the East Liberty Trash Warriors
South Side Slopes team
Garfield
Carrick’s haul, photo courtesy of Katie Mitchell
