You should be seeing this sticker in a few windows of Mt. Lebanon businesses, and with any luck, they will be sprouting up all over town. Last year, Mt. Lebanon got a $35,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to increase the level of commercial recycling. The Pennsylvania Resources Council, an environmental advocacy group, was asked by the DEP to administer the grant. Mary Kate Ranii of PRC is spearheading the effort in Mt. Lebanon.

Ranii’s first step was to send out a survey to the business owners. Her goal was 100 surveys and so far 90 have been completed. Of those 90, she says about 70 percent of the respondents are recycling.

“We’ve found a really high level of interest in recycling here,” she says. “Both with residents and business owners.”

Unlike residences, which automatically receive recycling service every other week as part of a contract with Republic Services, commercial businesses must contract privately for trash and recyclable collection.

All business owners who follow the recycling guidelines will get a sticker that they can display in their windows. Also, the resources council will share weekly recycling tips and conversation starters that you can read on the mtl magazine Facebook page.