Trash collecting champions announced from ninth annual Pittsburgh Garbage Olympics

PITTSBURGH — The results are in for Pittsburgh’s ninth annual Garbage Olympics.

Fifty neighborhood teams competed in the event Sept. 13, with over 750 volunteers collecting trash across the city, organizers say.

Held to promote community engagement and environmental cleanup, the competition saw teams racing to gather as much litter as possible within a two-hour window. The South Side Flats team emerged victorious, collecting 262 bags of trash, six tires and 14 bulk items, earning them the gold medal.

The competition featured both veteran teams and newcomers, with Oakwood and Bon Air joining for the first time. The Beltzhoover “Beltzhoovenirs” and Knoxville “Hard Knox” teams returned for another round.

Penn Hills, participating from outside the city limits, won the Dirtiest Volunteer Award, while Central Oakland had the most volunteers, totaling 101 participants.

Central Oakland also secured the silver medal with 138 bags of trash and two bulk items, while Carrick took bronze with 120 bags of trash, 40 tires, six TVs and 10 bulk items.

The Department of Public Works was responsible for transporting the collected trash to the landfill and recycling the tires. They also collaborated with a vendor to properly dispose of electronic waste.

This year’s event introduced an art contest coordinated by Maria DeSimone Prascak of Maria’s IDEAS Art, with submissions displayed at Velum Fermentation and winners to be showcased in bus shelters city-wide.

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