Launched in 1988, Pennsylvania’s recycling program is funded by a ‘tipping fee’ of $2 per ton on all waste managed at municipal waste landfills and resource recovery facilities in the state. The fees generate approximately $35m each year to support municipal recycling programs that serve nearly 10 million residents.
Governor Rendell’s signature on the act ensures the tipping fee will continue to be collected through 2020 and also authorizes a $1.25m transfer from the recycling fund to the Waste Tire Remediation Fund to complete tire pile cleanups, work that is important to protecting public health, he said.
In total, Pennsylvania recycles millions of tons of materials each year and reuse businesses annually generate more than $20bn in sales, which saves communities money on disposal costs and provides an additional source of revenue. The recycling industry in Pennsylvania also has a yearly payroll of more than $2bn.
Since 2003, the Governor Rendell noted that Pennsylvania has already removed nearly 12.5 million waste tires by cleaning up 111 piles. Nearly 4.8 million of these tires were removed at no cost to the state as a result of enforcement action by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Governor Rendell said: “Recycling diverts five million tons of waste from our landfills annually and has helped businesses and local governments avoid more than $1bn in disposal costs since the program was created.”
