(Gaby Jalbert, stock photo) The economic benefits of Pennsylvania's 2004 recycling program are estimated at more than $113 million in materials collected and more than $259 million of avoided disposal costs.
Recycling in Pennsylvania is saving millions
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JANUARY 03, 2006
By Happynews Staff

The economic benefits of recycling are estimated at more than $113 million in materials collected and more than $259 million of avoided disposal costs, in addition to the substantial environmental gains from recycling.
"Our investments to support community recycling efforts and innovative private-sector initiatives have made Pennsylvania a national leader in recycling," Governor Rendell said. "In Pennsylvania, we are committed to protecting the environment and to using environmental protection measures to foster job creation and economic growth."
The Commonwealth's recycling and reuse industry includes more than 3,200 establishments with total annual sales of $18.4 billion. The industry employs more than 81,000 people and has an annual payroll of $2.9 billion. The employment, payroll and sales numbers are more than any other state in the Northeast United States and are the second highest in the nation.
In addition, Pennsylvania's recycling and reuse industry has an indirect effect on the economy estimated at $1.8 billion, and a direct impact on the tax base, contributing $305 million each year.
According to reports filed by Pennsylvania counties for 2004, the state diverted 4.8 million tons of municipal waste from disposal at landfills and waste-to-energy facilities, continuing an upward trend that began with passage of the state's recycling law in 1988. Municipal waste includes typical refuse from households, businesses, schools and institutions as well as industry offices and lunchrooms.
The economic benefit of recycling in 2004 can be assessed in part by using published commodity prices for goods such as steel cans, glass, plastic bottles and corrugated paper. An analysis of 1.4 million tons of Pennsylvania's 2004 recycling reveals the materials were worth almost $54 million. If the remaining 3.4 million tons of other materials were valued at even half this amount, the total would be more than $113 million.
This does not include the estimated value of avoided disposal, which can be calculated as more than $259 million at the estimated statewide average disposal cost of $54 per ton.
"Across the commonwealth, people are recycling more at home, at work and even in public places," Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. "Our partners in municipal governments are using innovative collection programs not only to diversify what they collect, but also to make their programs more efficient. The recycling and reuse industries are creating new and valuable uses for recyclable materials. Together, we are saving millions of tons of materials and using them to grow our economy."
The environmental benefits of recycling extend far beyond diverting materials from landfills and incinerators.
- Pennsylvania recycling saved energy: Pennsylvania's 2004 recycling efforts saved almost 66 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) of energy, enough to power 643,000 homes for one year in Pennsylvania or the equivalent of conserving 531 million gallons of gasoline.
- Pennsylvania recycling reduced air and water pollution: Pennsylvania recycling in 2004 eliminated more than 2.5 million metric tons of air emissions, including greenhouse gas emission reductions of 1.9 million metric tons of carbon equivalent --- a savings of approximately 2.4 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the commonwealth. Part of the air emissions savings total was 7,731 metric tons of sulfur oxides, an important ingredient in acid rain formation. Nitrogen oxides, a precursor to smog, were reduced by 8,814 metric tons, an amount equal to 5.5 percent of these emissions from Pennsylvania electrical utilities. Water pollutant reductions totaled nearly 9,000 metric tons.
- Pennsylvania's recycling conserved natural resources: By recycling more than 1 million tons of steel cans, appliances and similar materials, Pennsylvania industries saved almost 1.3 million tons of iron ore, 718,460 tons of coal and 61,582 tons of limestone. Through recycling newspapers, office and mixed paper, the state saved the equivalent of 8.2 million trees. On average, a live tree removes 60 pounds per year of air pollution from the environment.
For more information on this topic, visit DEP's Web site at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us, Keyword: "Recycling."