Mayor, DPW Announce Details of Recycling Cart Distribution, to Begin September 28

Friday Sep 24th, 2021

Green banner with DPW logo and text "Department of Public Works Press Release"

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.

About The Recycling Partnership

The Recycling Partnership is the action agent transforming the U.S. residential recycling system for good. Our team operates at every level of the recycling value chain and works on the ground with thousands of communities to transform underperforming recycling programs and tackle circular economy challenges. As the leading organization in the country that engages the full recycling supply chain, from working with companies to make their packaging more circular and help them meet climate and sustainability goals, to working with government to develop policy solutions to address the systemic needs of the U.S. recycling system, The Recycling Partnership positively impacts recycling at every step in the process. Since 2014, the nonprofit change agent diverted 230 million pounds of new recyclables from landfills, saved 465 million gallons of water, avoided more than 250,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases, and drove significant reductions in targeted contamination rates. Learn more at recyclingpartnership.org.

About Closed Loop Partners 

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity, project-based finance and an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. The firm has built an ecosystem that connects entrepreneurs, industry experts, global consumer goods companies, retailers, financial institutions, and municipalities, bridging gaps and fostering synergies to scale the circular economy. Learn more at www.closedlooppartners.com

About Baltimore Civic Fund

As the fiscal sponsor for the City of Baltimore, the Baltimore Civic Fund serves as the financial backbone for public-private partnerships between innovative City programs and the philanthropic community. In this role, the Civic Fund manages $12 million annually for more than 125 City programs that promote business and economic development, culture and the creative economy, job growth, and more. Working alongside the Mayor of Baltimore and City leadership, the Civic Fund strives to serve as a hub for connection and coordination between the City of Baltimore and the philanthropic community, helping to realize a vision of an inclusive city where all Baltimore residents prosper.

Related Stories

DPW Offices, Sanitation Yards Closed on Juneteenth, Monday June 19

Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jason W. Mitchell reminds residents that Juneteenth is Monday, June 19, 2023, and is a City holiday. DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED.

Weekly trash and recycling collections are NOT impacted by the Juneteenth closure. Monday is not a scheduled curbside trash or recycling collection day.

DPW Extends Deadline to Receive Discount for Paperless Billing Sign Up

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is pleased to announce that Baltimore City residential water customers have more time to sign up for Paperless Billing and receive a one-time, 5% discount off a monthly water bill. Residents who enroll in paperless billing by Friday, June 30, will receive the 5% discount.

DPW Offices, Sanitation Yards Closed Memorial Day: Monday, May 29

Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jason W. Mitchell reminds residents that Memorial Day is on Monday, May 29, 2023, and is a City-observed holiday. DPW offices and sanitation yards will be CLOSED.

Contact

James E. Bentley II
410-545-6541
Jennifer Combs
410-545-6541
After hours, weekends, or holidays please call 410-396-3100 for the duty officer

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works supports the health, environment, and economy of our City and region by cleaning our neighborhoods and waterways and providing its customers with safe drinking water and sustainable energy practices.