Pennsylvania Highlights Economic Importance of Recycling

The 2011 Pennsylvania Recycling Industries Congress, Feb. 15, will feature private-sector recyclers and companies that consume recyclables to make new products. The event will be held in \Harrisburg, Pa..

Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA) and the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC) are sponsors of the event, which will feature more than two dozen recyclers and recycled-products companies.

“Recycling is a growing and important part of the private-sector waste industry, which contributes $3 billion a year to our Pennsylvania economy and accounts for 31,500 jobs,” says Tim O’Donnell, president of PWIA, an organization representing private-sector recyclers, waste haulers and landfill operators. “The Recycling Industries Congress is an opportunity to get this message out to legislators and the public.”

Michele Nestor, RMC board chair, adds, “Pennsylvania is a leading state in terms of the importance of recycling. The private sector has invested more than $66 million in recycling facilities, state-of-the-art sorting and processing equipment and new recycling jobs in Pennsylvania in just the past few years.”
 
Companies exhibiting at the event include:

•    Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)
o    Republic Services, King of Prussia;  
o    Waste Management, Pottstown;
o    Veolia Environmental Services Inc., McClellandtown;
o    Penn Waste, York;
o    Greenstar, Allentown and Pittsburgh;
o    Cougle's Recycling, Hamburg;

•    Paper  

o    American Eagle Paper Mills, Tyrone;
o    Henry Molded Products, Lebanon;
o    Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster;
o    Fiber America, Allentown;

•    Plastics  
o    Pandya, Inc., Ebensburg;
o    Engineered Plastics Inc., Lake City;
o    Nursery Supplies Inc., Chambersburg;
o    Casual Living Unlimited, New Holland;
o    Ultra-Poly Corporation, Portland;

•    Glass  
o    Greenstar, Allentown and Pittsburgh (also under MRFs);
o    LVH Industries, Orwigsburg ;
o    Cougle's Recycling, Hamburg (also under MRFs);

•    Electronics  
o    Kuusakoski Philadelphia LLC, Philadelphia;
o    Eloop LLC, Murrysville;

•    Construction/Demolition
o    Zwicky Processing & Recycling, Fleetwood;
o    Construction Waste Management, Philadelphia;
o    USA Gypsum, Reinholds;  

•    Organics  
o    AgReycle, Pittsburgh;
o    Two Particular Acres, Royersford;
o    Ridgewood Soils, Reading; and

•    Rubber  
o    Mahantango Enterprises Inc., Liverpool .