Volunteers needed as Garbage Olympics returns to Pittsburgh
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It’s an Olympic year in more ways than one.
The City of Pittsburgh is holding its annual Garbage Olympics on Saturday, a citywide cleanup event the Department of Public Works bills as a “competitive litter pick-up event.”
More than 40 Pittsburgh neighborhood teams are being pitted against one another to see which can collect the most trash. Last year, 38 of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods fielded teams of garbage collectors.
The event runs from 9 to 11 a.m. Winners will be announced at a closing ceremony at Threadbare Cider House in Spring Garden beginning at noon.
“The Garbage Olympics allows anyone to make an impact in their neighborhood,” said Renee Robinson, Garbage Olympics co-founder and organizer. “You can have a team of two or 50. You know that you’re a part of a bigger goal with all Pittsburgh neighborhoods doing a trash collection together.”
DPW and Mayor Bill Peduto’s Clean Pittsburgh Commission will provide bags, gloves, safety vests and “nifty nabber” litter grabbers. DPW will collect trash from designated locations in each neighborhood.
“Each act of cleaning up litter isn’t just one action. It accomplishes dozens of things, every single time,” said the city’s anti-litter specialist Chris Mitchell. “It raises pride in your community. It makes your community stronger. It makes the land and water around you less poisonous. It discourages further littering by keeping it clean in the first place.”
Interested city residents can find registered neighborhood teams, captain contact information and meeting spots on PGHGO.org. Email garbageolympicspgh@gmail.com or text or call 412-709-5155 to join a team.