Pittsburgh launching composting pilot

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The city of Pittsburgh is launching a composting pilot to reach its goal of becoming a zero-waste city.

The Department of City Planning's Sustainability and Resilience division is working with local and regional partners on a five-month composting pilot set to start in late spring.   

In 2021, the city got a $90,000 federal grant that helped create SoilMill PGH, a two-year pilot program to figure out how to implement a citywide compost and food waste reduction plan. The first year focused on research, and now, in the second year, they're looking for up to 300 residents to test different residential composting solutions and pick-up and drop-off locations.

"Pittsburgh is still experiencing some of the lasting ecological effects of the steel industry such as reduced air and soil quality," said principal resilience planner Aftyn Giles in a press release. "Composting is a great way to strengthen local soils with vital nutrients. By scaling our composting efforts citywide, we can begin to improve the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the local crops we eat." 

City residents who want to participate in the pilot can fill out an interest form on EngagePGH. The city said they'll be notified in March to April.

"We want to empower residents to create positive change in their neighborhoods. We are excited to see how our communities can grow with ready access to composting resources," Mayor Ed Gainey said in a press release.