HARRISBURG, Pa., US: /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To improve the performance of recycling programs and increase participation, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced last week, nearly $1.4 million in grants to reimburse 57 counties for a portion of salaries and expenses associated with employing recycling coordinators.
The investment, said Governor Rendell, is providing a good return for the commonwealth and strengthening county recycling programs.
"Having dedicated personnel at the county level is essential to improving the performance of recycling programs and participation rates of citizens," said Governor Rendell. "These coordinators are organizing community collection efforts, analyzing financial data for their respective programs, meeting with companies to identify new markets, and acting as a key liaison between the county and the state. Ultimately, the county coordinators are playing a large role in helping these programs become financially self-sufficient."
The financial stability of Pennsylvania's recycling programs is important to the state's economy and its environment.
In 2005, Pennsylvanians recycled a record 4.86 million tons of municipal waste, saving consumers and industries nearly $263 million in disposal costs and providing businesses with materials valued at $577 million. The commonwealth's recycling and reuse industry, which employs more than 81,000 people with a total annual payroll of $2.9 billion, includes more than 3,200 establishments with total annual sales of $18.4 billion.
Additionally, the industry adds more than $305 million in taxes to the state treasury.
County recycling coordinators serve as the link between the Department of Environmental Protection and local municipal recycling and waste reduction programs, compile yearly waste and recycling reports, organize electronics and household hazardous waste collections, create and maintain waste management plans, and offer a range of other support activities to local communities.
"County recycling coordinators are a vital part of the continued success of recycling in Pennsylvania," said Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty. "By improving the recycling efforts of local governments, county recycling coordinators are helping Pennsylvania meet its environmental protection and economic development goals."
County recycling coordinator reimbursement grants are funded by the Recycling Fund, which is supported by a $2-per-ton fee on all disposed materials at municipal waste landfills and resource recovery facilities in Pennsylvania. The grants reimburse counties for up to 50 percent of the salary and authorized expenses incurred by county recycling coordinators.
Further information
For more information, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, keyword: Recycling.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.
The following is a list, by county, of the $1,382,777 awarded in County Recycling Coordinator Reimbursement grants:
Adams - $13, 258
Allegheny - $30,490
Armstrong - $11,764
Beaver - $35,100
Bedford - $15,696
Berks - $30,406
Blair - $20,811
Bradford - $26,855
Bucks - $37,765
Butler - $18,272
Cambria - $32,011
Cameron - $3,868
Carbon - $30,287
Centre - $53,095
Chester - $54,367
Clearfield - $13,827
Clinton - $33,913
Columbia - $11,881
Crawford - $30,379
Cumberland - $27,815
Dauphin - $28,439
Delaware - $25,503
Elk - $11,121
Erie - $11,322
Fayette - $4,193
Huntingdon - $13,025
Indiana - $29,623
Jefferson - $23,788
Juniata - $8,436
Lackawanna - $35,811
Lancaster - $47,878
Lawrence - $31,645
Lebanon - $37,161
Lehigh - $48,224
Luzerne - $20,263
Lycoming - $36,894
McKean - $7,721
Mercer - $4,975
Mifflin - $16,525
Monroe - $33,831
Montgomery - $29,381
Montour - $4,845
Northumberland - $21,408
Perry - $7,778
Philadelphia - $34,579
Pike - $24,408
Schuylkill - $30,128
Snyder - $12,413
Sullivan - $27,072
Susquehanna - $26,364
Tioga - $30,413
Union - $39,156
Venango - $15,412
Warren - $4,572
Washington - $9,005
Wayne - $27,240
Wyoming - $30,365
[Source: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection]
Web Sites: http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/
http://www.governor.state.pa.us/