Commercial Garbage & Recycling Services

The Department of Public Works now offers commercial garbage collection. If you are interested in commercial collection rates please call the Department of Public Works at 412-271-0350 and ask for the Director of Public Works. A breakdown of commercial rates can be found here.

View Commercial Garbage Rates (PDF)

Commercial Recycling

Recycling Is mandatory in Swissvale, Pennsylvania Act 101 (The Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988) requires commercial, municipal, and institutional establishments in mandated communities to recycle a number of materials.

The Borough of Swissvale is a mandated community. The Borough of Swissvale's Recycling Ordinance states, All persons must separate high grade office paper, aluminum, corrugated paper, (and) leaf waste... generated at commercial, municipal and institutional establishments and from community activities and store the recyclable materials until collection.

  • All commercial, municipal and institutional establishments must annually provide the Borough of Swissvale written documentation of the amount of material recycled from the previous year. Establishments in Swissvale may use the attached form as their required documentation to the Borough.
  • It is not necessary to submit the Annual Commercial Recycling Report Form if the Borough receives a letter or statement from your recycling hauler that both:
    • Certifies recyclable material is being collected from your business
    • Provides a total amount of material recycled from the previous year

For more information on the Borough's recycling ordinance or questions regarding the Report form, call 412-271-0350.

Jump-Start Your Business's Recycling Program

A waste assessment can help determine the composition of your business's waste stream and identify the types of material that can be recycled. Contact the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), a non-profit organization specializing in waste reduction and recycling, at 412-488-7490 to schedule a waste assessment.

Environmental Incentives

Every day American businesses generate enough paper to circle the earth 20 times. Junk mail creates four million tons of preventable waste each year and fills 3% of America's landfills, costing taxpayers $320 million in disposal fees annually. Recycling one ton of cardboard saves over 9 cubic yards of landfill space. If these materials are recycled they save energy and landfill space, which also saves money!

Financial Incentives

Reducing the amount of materials in your solid waste dumpster by separating out recyclables can reduce the frequency of hauler pick-up, thus potentially cutting disposal costs. Moreover, recycling may result in the need for smaller or fewer solid waste dumpsters, leading to additional cost savings.

Practical Recycling for Smaller Businesses

A small office or retail establishment may not be able to efficiently recycle by itself, due to producing too little volume to justify the cost of collection.

  • Team up with adjoining businesses and complexes may jointly manage recycling cost-effectively.
  • Reduce waste by eliminating junk mail, remove company name from direct mail lists. Make double-sided copies and re-use packing peanuts.
  • Educate current and new employees with company policy and recycling procedures.