Penn. Lobbies to Reauthorize Recycling Fee

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David E. Hess stressed the importance of reauthorizing the $2 recycling fee at a meeting of the Recycling Fund Advisory Committee. Hess noted the importance of reauthorizing the fee while praising Pennsylvania’s 36.1 percent recycling rate.

“Recycling is an environmental program that has truly made an impact on households, organizations and businesses across the Commonwealth,” Secretary Hess said. “But the value of recycling goes beyond turning one aluminum can into another one. It teaches us about environmental stewardship and how it’s important to reuse what have already used.”

Final reports submitted for 2001 show Pennsylvania counties recycled nearly 4 million tons of the 10.8 million tons of municipal solid waste generated bringing the state's recycling rate to 36.1 percent. Pennsylvania had set a statewide recycling goal of 35 percent by 2003 and reached this goal in 2001. Nineteen counties and the Commonwealth as a whole exceeded that level. There was also a slight reduction in the amount of waste generated by person. Pennsylvania currently has one of the largest curbside pickup recycling programs in the nation. An estimated 10 million Pennsylvanians recycle.

Over the last eight years, Pennsylvania has invested more than $335 million in the recycling fund. Yearly funding has increased from $32.5 million in fiscal year 1994/1995 to $46.7 million in fiscal year 2001/2002.