DEP’s Solid Waste Advisory and Recycling Fund Advisory Committees will hold a joint meeting November 5 to review a final set of draft recommendations for changing and strengthening the Act 101 Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act.

The Committees have been working with a variety of stakeholders on the recommendations since June of 2017.  The goal of this meeting is to see if the Committees can come to a consensus on the recommendations.

A 3-page summary of 25 recommendations will be reviewed by the Committee.  Among the recommendations are--

-- Require curbside recycling in any community of 5,000 or more (now 10,000 or more);

-- Any municipality of less than 5,000 must have a recycling program feasible for them;

-- All persons must separate, municipalities must collect ALL materials listed in the Act (now it’s 3 out of 8 materials-- clear glass, colored glass, aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans, high-grade office paper, newsprint, corrugated paper and plastics);

-- Add mixed paper to the list of items that must be recycled;

-- All state agencies must recycling listed materials;

-- All state agencies must default to purchasing products with recycled content;

-- Ban aluminum, steel/bi-metal cans from being landfilled or going to resource recovery facilities;

-- Add provisions to facilitate universal access to waste management, recycling services;

-- Authorize counties to adopt fees to support recycling programs;

-- Authorize municipalities to adopt fees to support recycling programs; and

-- Expand/create specific recycling public education requirements.

Click Here for a copy of the draft recommendations.

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building starting at 10:00.

For more information and available handouts, visit DEP’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee/ Recycling Fund Advisory Committee webpage.  Questions should be directed to Laura Henry, 717-772-5713 or send email to: lahenry@pa.gov.

Background

Pennsylvania’s curbside/drop-off recycling program celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and now reaches 94 percent of the state’s population. 

In those 30 years recycling in Pennsylvania has turned into a $22.6 billion industry, but the program now faces challenges in terms of marketing collected materials, an electronics waste recycling effort that is foundering and a recycling funding model that may be out of date. Click Here for more.

To learn more about the recycling program, visit DEP’s Recycling In Pennsylvania webpage.

NewsClips:

Some Of Philly’s Recyclables Are Being Burned, Not Reused

Trash Talk: Bigger Fines, Free Neighborhood Trash Cans In Philly

Lackawanna Recycling Center Charging Municipalities For Yard Waste

Lackawanna Yard Waste Fees For Municipalities Halted

Editorial: Re-Examine Lackawanna County Recycling Center Contract

Pennsylvanians Encouraged To Participate In National Drug Take Back Day

Cut Food Waste, Promote  Sustainable Eating, Farming Approaches

Proposed Slate Belt Sludge Treatment Plant To Be Subject Of State Hearing

Scranton Reviews Trash-Fee Structure

Related Stories:

DEP Awards 195 Recycling Implementation Grants Totaling Over $37.2 Million

Feature: University Student Engagement Helps Earn Bellefonte DEP Composting Grant

DEP Accepting Applications For Act 101 Recycling Implementation Grants

Wolf Administration Encourages Participation In National Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Oct. 27

Keep PA Beautiful Asks: How Will You Celebrate America Recycles Day Nov. 15?

Clinton County CleanScapes Stewards Run Creek Cleanup Nov. 3 In Lycoming County

Call For Presentation Proposals: Professional Recyclers 2019 Annual Conference July 24-26 In Harrisburg

[Posted: Oct. 25, 2018]

10/29/2018