Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Department of Public Works (DPW) announced the plan to begin distribution of new recycling carts to more than 190,000 City households beginning Tuesday, September 28. The five-month distribution process will provide all curbside-eligible City households with a free 65-gallon rolling, lidded recycling cart.
“Making Baltimore more sustainable through diverting waste from our landfills and incineration is key as we lay the groundwork for future generations,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “By providing our residents with the proper resources and education thanks to this partnership, I know that more Baltimore households will do their part to reduce waste and recycle.”
The new recycling carts are available free of charge to Baltimore residents thanks to a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that includes The Recycling Partnership, Baltimore Civic Fund, and Closed Loop Partners. These carts will replace households’ existing recycling bins, making recycling safer and more accessible, while giving Baltimoreans the ability to recycle more. This addresses a key recommendation in the City’s Less Waste, Better Baltimore Plan and Mayor Scott’s goal of increasing rates of household recycling across the city.
“The Department of Public Works is excited to support this new initiative to increase recycling and waste diversion in Baltimore City,” said Baltimore City Department of Public Works Director Jason W. Mitchell. “We are grateful for the Mayor’s vision of a cleaner and more equitable Baltimore and the collaboration between Baltimore Civic Fund, The Recycling Partnership, and Closed Loop Partners to make this a reality for the residents of our city.”
Between September and February, DPW will deliver 190,000 carts directly to homes across the city. Residents can use their existing recycling containers until they receive the new cart. The City asks for residents' patience with the delivery process. Residents can review the delivery schedule on the Department of Public Works website.
Residents may begin using their new recycling carts as soon as they are delivered and can expect no changes to their collection day. Residents are encouraged to continue to recycle paper, flattened cardboard and cartons, aluminum and steel cans, as well as empty plastic and glass bottles, jars, and jugs. Be sure to recycle only accepted materials that are empty and dry.
As a reminder, items such as plastic bags and film, food and liquids, paper towels and napkins, garden hoses, chains and cords, and carry-out food containers cannot be recycled. Residents are often hopeful that these items can be recycled but unfortunately, non-recyclable items can cause injuries to recycling workers or damage at recycling facilities. Residents can visit publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/recycling-services for information on what items are recyclable.
The Recycling Partnership has estimated that providing all City households with modern recycling carts has the potential to generate an estimated 40 million pounds of new recyclables per year – an 80% increase of recyclables per household.
“The Recycling Partnership is excited to bring together this a first-of-its-kind collaboration resulting in a plastic resin donation from Dow for the recycling carts, manufacturing of the lidded carts by Rehrig Pacific, an investment from the Closed Loop Partners’ Infrastructure Fund, as well as funding from the Every Bottle Back initiative in partnership with Maryland’s leading beverage companies,” said Keysha Burton, Community Program Manager at The Recycling Partnership. “Our grant to provide equitable access to recycling for all Baltimore City residents is the single-largest recycling grant in The Partnership’s seven-year history, and we are honored it has been used to support the City’s Less Waste, Better Baltimore plan to deliver curbside recycling carts to every Baltimore home.”
“We’re thrilled to invest with others across the public and private sector to advance safer, more accessible and resilient local recycling infrastructure in Baltimore, and to ultimately accelerate the circular economy in the U.S.,” said Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “Together with our partners in this effort, we are pleased to take this next step in improving recycling infrastructure on-the-ground and to help bring the City closer to its zero-waste goals.”
Until your new cart is delivered, continue to set out your current recycling bin as usual. To learn more, see when your cart will be delivered, confirm your collection day, or use the Recycling Right tool, visit publicworks.baltimorecity.gov/residential-recycling-carts.
