Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center Releases GIS Tool

The Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC), Harrisburg, Pa., has launched the Products and Commodities GIS (Geographic Information System) Tool at www.parmc.org to assist in connected the demand and supply sides of recycled commodity chains. 

The tool allows users to select and search facilities geographically and by material type.  Through Google maps, the zoom feature illustrates markers while identifying facility locations and provides facility name, contact information and driving directions.

“This GIS mapping tool will help our supermarket and convenience store members to locate farms and facilities that compost food waste,” Annette Knapp, the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association manager of legislative research, says. “Many of our retailers are interested in composting, and this capability would aid in such a transition. We look forward to offering a link to this service on our home page.”

Searches are currently limited to organic materials but will soon include other commodities and Pennsylvania recycled content products. The RMC is targeting addition of recycled materials processing facilities and recycled content product manufacturers, regardless of the material(s) of interest. Additionally, the RMC is negotiating Web site links to and from relevant stakeholder trade associations. This supports diversion of additional materials for use in manufacturing or sale of the resulting recycled content products.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency supported development of the GIS tool through the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The online utility was completed with assistance from the Institute of State and Regional Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg. 

For questions or assistance in using RMC’s Products and Commodities GIS Tool or to have a facility added to the system, contact Melanie Morrison at mmorison@parmc.org or at (717) 948-6660.