Pennsylvania’s Governor Edward Rendell announced that Pennsylvania’s municipal waste recycling efforts topped 4 million tons for the first time in history, according to reports filed by Pennsylvania counties for all materials recycled in 2002.
“Pennsylvanians are taking advantage of the opportunity to recycle, sending millions of tons of recyclables to manufactures to generate new products rather than sending the materials to landfills or burning them,” Governor Rendell said. “We have demonstrated that we can create a vast supply of commodities ranging from paper and cardboard to containers and computers, and we are fortunate that many of these items can be processed and turned into new goods right here in Pennsylvania.”
Pennsylvania’s recycling industry, which includes 141 manufacturers of recycled products, has created a $23.4 billion industry that employs more than 81,000 people. Recycling has become one of the engines that drive Pennsylvania’s economy, generating $18.4 billion in annual sales and contributing $305 million in state taxes.
The state diverted 4,088,683 tons of municipal waste generated here in 2002 from disposal at landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. Municipal waste includes typical refuse from households, businesses, schools and institutions as well as industry offices and lunchrooms.
Department of General Services Secretary Donald T. Cunningham Jr. reported that the Commonwealth purchased more than $70 million worth of recycled products in the 2001-02 fiscal year, including all paper used in agency operations, recycled plastic lumber, re-treaded truck tires, re-refined oil and recycled rubber joint sealant.
DGS’s Commonwealth Agency Recycling Office credited the state’s General Fund with more than $112,500 from the sale of 3,800 tons of office paper, newspaper and corrugated boxes. Recycling these materials avoided nearly $190,500 in disposal costs during the last fiscal year, Secretary Cunningham said. The DGS Bureau of Surplus Property generated $355,500 from the sale of batteries, scrap metals, tires and waste oil.
“We continue to show leadership by recycling and buying recycled products,” Secretary Cunningham said. “And we will take steps to encourage greater efforts by all state agencies and local governments.”