<B>Penn. Seeking Recycling Winners</B>

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Council on Recycling Development and Waste Reduction is promoting its annual Waste Watcher Award. The awards programs recognizes public and private efforts statewide that meet or exceed the state’s criteria for recycling and waste prevention.

The awards will be presented to programs that meet or exceed specific criteria. Anyone in the recycling industry in the public or private sector is eligible to enter. New this year is a ``Reuse'' category for those who promote the redistribution of unwanted goods or materials to those who can use them, such as building materials salvage centers, food-redistribution efforts, clothing and textile recovery operations, electronic repair places, and medical-supply recovery and redistribution centers.

Waste Watcher categories include:

• Recycling Collection: Curbside, Drop-Off, Pay-as-You-Throw, Commercial/Institutional;
• Recycling Education: Comprehensive, Single Communications Piece, Newsletter, Electronic Communication; and
• Processing and Markets: Materials Recovery Facility, Recycled Products Manufacturing, Composting and Reuse.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Public Recycling Officials of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, the awards will be presented for programs in place and functioning during 2000. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31.

Guidelines for the award can be downloaded from the DEP website at www.dep.state.pa.us, or call the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-346-4242.

For more information on recycling, visit DEP at www.state.pa.us.