Pa. Recycling Tops 4 Million Tons

Rebekah A. Hall

Harrisburg, Pa. – Pennsylvania counties have reported recycling more than 4 million tons of municipal materials in 2002, according to Governor Edward Rendell. The state’s $23.4 billion recycling industry includes 141 manufacturers of recycled products; employs 81,000 employees; generated $18.4 billion in annual sales and contributed $305 million in state taxes, according to news sources.

"Pennsylvania’s are taking advantage of the opportunity to recycle," Governor Rendell says. "[The are] sending millions of tons of recyclables to manufacturers to generate new products rather than sending them to landfills or burning them."

Additionally, Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty recently announced three new recycling programs to increase the demand for recycled goods by developing new markets.