Governor: Pennsylvania Recycling Investments Will Benefit All
New strategic investments targeted to increase the use of recyclable materials will help manufacturers manage energy costs, reduce pollution, and bolster local recycling collection programs, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell said on Sept. 15.
Rendell announced that the commonwealth is making $1 million available for manufacturers to buy equipment that increases use of recycled content in finished products.
He also announced $950,000 to continue the progress being made by the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center in expanding and developing markets for recovered materials, and stimulating demand for products with recycled content.
"Recycled materials are an important resource for Pennsylvania's manufacturers. They can cut soaring energy costs by incorporating recyclable materials that require less energy to process than virgin raw materials," said Rendell. "Diverting these valuable materials from landfills also protects our environment by preserving natural resources, reducing pollution from the processing of virgin materials, and conserving landfill space."
The $1 million available through the recycling markets infrastructure development grants program will help companies find new ways to use more types of recyclable materials. Grants of up to $500,000 are available to buy machinery or equipment that will increase consumption of recyclable materials recovered in Pennsylvania.
The grants are made to businesses and nonprofit organizations that will manufacture a product or reuse an existing product using recyclable materials.
"These initiatives to increase demand for recycled materials also benefit Pennsylvania's municipal recycling programs, which collect bottles, cans, papers, and other materials from homes and businesses," said Acting Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger. "Increasing demand for these commodities means local governments can benefit from higher prices for the materials they collect. By diverting more materials from landfills, local governments and businesses also can save on their waste disposal costs.
"Pennsylvania's investments in the future of recycling are protecting the environment and helping businesses manage their rising energy costs. Recycling is truly a win for Pennsylvania," Hanger added.
Applications for recycling markets infrastructure development grants will be accepted until Nov. 3. To obtain a grant application, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Market Development, or contact Charles Scheidler, Bureau of Waste Management, cscheidler@state.pa.us, (717) 787-7382.
Pennsylvania's recycling and reuse industry leads northeastern states in employment, payroll and sales numbers. More than 3,200 recycling and reuse businesses and organizations make more than $18.4 billion in gross annual sales and pay $305 million in taxes. Recycling and reuse industries in Pennsylvania employ more than 81,000 people at an annual payroll of approximately $2.9 billion.
The Recycling Markets Center has been aggressively expanding its scope of services to increase the demand for recycled commodities. By supporting research into innovative uses for priority materials such as organic wastes, hard-to-recycle plastics, glass and tires, the center is developing new markets for recyclable materials. The center is increasing its business assistance programs, including accelerating time-to-market of new products or processes that use recycled commodities.
The Recycling Markets Center has also launched new programs to help manufacturers that use recycled materials to document their reduced carbon emissions and earn tradable carbon credits through the Chicago Climate Exchange. It has also created a program to develop markets for recovered construction materials for use in certified green buildings.
For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Recycling. For more information on the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center, visit www.parmc.org.