Community Recycling - Sponsored by The League for Human Decency

We hope that you liked our new drive through system! It worked smoothly on our end, and is much safer for all involved! Hopefully, you didn’t have to wait in line too long! We are sure you will REALLY appreciate it in inclement weather!

BIG Change is in the air for this Friday’s (3/1/24) FFFF recycling event! Those of you familiar with the First Friday from 4 PM – 5PM recycling events are in for a new experience. The event will be moved to the Right side of the North Center Ave Giant Eagle store. If you are standing in front of the store facing it, the event will be a drive through event on the right side of the building. It will be conducted much like the Electronic Collection events, so if you are familiar with those events, this will be familiar also. You will drive up to the volunteers, open your trunk, or hatch, or tell the volunteer where your recyclables are located in your vehicle, they will remove, scan items (if all is correctly sorted and clean the volunteer will then deposit items in correct bins and send you on around the back of the building where you will drive the perimeter and come out on the other side of Harbor Freight, free to go on with your evening). If the volunteers feel the items are not sorted, or acceptable they will inform you to either go to a parking spot and sort your items, or if items are not properly cleaned, they will kindly ask you to take them back home and clean them for a future contribution. The goal is to increase safety, speed and accuracy of sorting, all while keeping you in your vehicle. Please be patient with the volunteers as they try to improve the experience and safety for all involved!

🌿🌎Hello fellow recyclers! A few gentle reminders:

Do not tie bags in knots

Please, no straws!

Remember that items must be clean, not just empty. We have had some very dirty items come in the last couple of months. Sorry, but if we see them, we will not be able to accept them. Please rinse out your items thoroughly, let soak in sink, put in dishwasher, whatever it takes.

Thanks so much for helping keep our world a cleaner place. Please pass this on if you know others who bring us their recycling..🌿🌎

Don’t forget that this week is First Friday! On August 4, bring your recycling to the North Center Giant Eagle parking lot, across from Somerset Trust. We receive items from 4:00-5:00. If you’re new, please see pinned post for do’s and don’ts!

Hello Recyclers! We are in dire need of a few subs for Friday, August 4th. Can anyone give a few hours of their time, and use of their car, truck, van, or truck? We are down three volunteers and their vehicles this month, and you’ve seen the amount we take!!

ISO - Volunteers for First Friday Recycling in August!
First Friday Recycling at North Center Avenue Giant Eagle will take place as usual from 4-5 pm. We need volunteers to help with organizing and packing recycling materials that are turned in. We will also really need a few individuals with pickup trucks to help haul items to the home of the woman who stores and distributes materials to various facilities around the region. Please respond below or message Laura Bowers for additional details if you think you are able to help that evening. We have a few regular volunteers who are unable to be there to help that evening.

CAT CAN BULLETIN!

1. The paper must be removed from all aluminum cat cans. This includes the Frisky brand. These cans have a triangle on the bottom and they may be comingled with other aluminum cans (e.g soda, beer, etc)

The brand "7 Lives" does not qualify because it is not aluminum. Their labels do NOT need to be removed and they may be comingled with other tin cans.

In ALL cases they, as well as all recyclables, must be cleaned before recycling them.

Please understand that these rules are not our rules! These are the rules that processors demand of us.

Please note: There are updates to the recycling notes for plastics and metals on this page. If these are materials you plan to recycle with us, please see the updated information on each item's recycling instructions post. Thank you!

Hello fellow recyclers! We have added an additional date for recycling in the coming weeks. We will be available to accept recyclable items in the Giant Eagle parking lot on 601 North on Friday, March 31st from 4pm-5pm and on Friday, April 7th from 4pm-5pm.
Also, please take some time to review our guidelines for the materials we accept during our recycling events. There are a few minor changes to how we hope for you to prepare your items before dropping them off due to changes from the facilities at which we recycle products. Bear in mind that, while we really appreciate that you're coming to drop off your recyclables, this operation is entirely volunteer-run. Preparing your recyclables properly ensures these volunteers are not overly taxed in the work they're doing on behalf of the community. Thank you for your care and cooperation!

EDIT: CANCELED. WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE BUT WITH THE WIND AND COLD WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME HOT CHOCOLATE AND GET COZY THIS EVENING. GOING FORWARD WE HAVE DECIDED-ANYTIME THE WEATHER GETS BELOW 0, REAL FEEL OR WITH THE WINDCHILL, WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY CANCEL FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.

SCHEDULE CHANGE AND STORAGE ISSUES.

Due to the windchills this evening we will only be at the drop off location from 4-5 today. We have to care for our volunteers. After collection they still have to work in the elements to unload.

We are also a bit strained with storage currently. If you can wait another month, please do as it will help us clear some of the current inventory. Thank you and stay warm.

Let’s get this filled! You can find this beast at the Education Center, 6024 Glades Pike, Somerset.

Hello everyone!
If you’re seeing this and planning to bring your recycling, please know that there is a dedicated group of about six people who consistently handles this project. As word has spread, the amount of recycling has grown. Gathering it each first Friday often includes sorting items and crushing cans, which you can imagine is time consuming, given that we’ve been serving a growing number of community members.
If you could ensure that your metal (both aluminum cans and mixed metals) is crushed to as small a size as you can get it to the best of your ability, you would save us so much time. Thank you for your consideration!

Hello! Bring your recycling this Friday, 12/2; you can find us in the parking lot of Giant Eagle, on North Center ( across from STC), 4:00-5:30!

Hello! If you bring recycling to First Fridays, please bring your egg cartons intact! We have a helper who needs them! Thanks so much!

Greetings on this chilly Friday evening! We wanted to let you know that we will have volunteers available tomorrow, Saturday, 10/15, at the Somerset Farmers Market at the Georgian Place. The recycling area will be staffed from 9:30 am to noon, but if you need to drop your materials off earlier than that you may do so. Just bring them to the area where we are normally set up. Thank you!

YAY!!! Although the League will continue with our community recycling on First Fridays until the county has a fully functioning program in place, please support this Somerset County recycling event! We need to show the county that we are serious about recycling and are rooting for their success!

❗️ It's Official ❗️🎉 Stop by Friedens Lutheran Church on Sept 24th and drop off your recyclables! ♻️♻️♻️
Please rinse and empty all bottles and cans 💛

Hello! Someone forgot a key on the back of the truck here at First Friday recycling! Please comment if it’s your key!

Hi everyone! It’s almost First Friday! Bring your recycling this Friday, 9/2 to the parking lot at Giant Eagle on North Center…we set up across from Somerset Trust, from 4:00-5:30. We also need volunteers to help with sorting and transporting locally.

Volunteers needed!! With the launch of this page, we have seen our recycling loads growing monthly! We need bodies and vehicles for this Friday, 9/2 to help out! If you’re willing and able, please comment below and we will contact you with details!!

Hello Recycling Heroes! Please note the following plastic changes:
# 1 and #2 plastics must now be separated from each other and from other plastics. All other plastics, with a triangle/number, may now be grouped together! Thank you😊💚🌎

We will be at the Somerset Farmer’s Market from 9-12 today. Hope to see you there.

Hi everyone! It’s almost First Friday! Bring your recycling this Friday, 8/5 to the parking lot at Giant Eagle on North Center…we set up across from Somerset Trust, from 4:00-5:30.

Recycling this Saturday, July 16, from 9:00-12:00 at the Somerset Farmer’s Market, Georgian Place.

Recycling is great and necessary! But even better…reduce waste wherever you can!

Corrugated cardboard boxes: completely broken down/ deconstructed please. These take up too much room if not completely deconstructed.

Styrofoam: take-out boxes (please clean), packing styrofoam but not peanuts, shipping containers for meds, etc
Note: Styrofoam cannot be recycled if it doesn’t snap when broken.

Plastic bags: plastic grocery bags, clothing bags, etc.
Note: Plastic shopping bags can also be taken to large recycling containers at Lowes.

Paper: includes newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes, junk mail, etc
Helpful tip: Cat food/rock salt bags are the perfect size for collecting these materials. This ensures each parcel of paper is not too heavy for volunteers to lift.

Metals: Clean cans, scrap metal, etc. Please separate aluminum from other metals. Please flatten ALL cans as much as possible. No aluminum foil.
Cat food cans are recyclable but must be turned in separately from all other metal.