RECYCLING IS GOOD BUSINESS

A recent announcement from Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania continues to confirm the long-proven fact that recycling is as much a job creation and economic development tool as it is a landfill "diverter." In announcing that 171 Pennsylvania communities will share grants totaling more than $5.5

million for their recycling efforts in 2004, Rendell cited some encouraging statistics borne from recycling initiatives. According to the governor, more than 3,200 recycling and reuse businesses and organizations in the state generate more than $18 billion in gross annual sales and provide jobs for more than 81,000 employees at an annual payroll of approximately $2.9 billion. These businesses add more than $305 million in taxes to the state treasury. In 2004, nearly 4.8 million tons of recyclable materials were recovered. The economic value of remaking those materials into new and useful products exceeded $113 million. Communities avoided some $260 million in disposal costs based on the estimated statewide average disposal cost of $54 per ton.

The recycling grants are awarded to communities based on their performance. "These grants give Pennsylvania communities a direct incentive to recycle," Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty says. "The more they recycle, the more they receive in recycling performance grants. I encourage local officials to use this money to support even stronger municipal recycling programs, which play an essential role in environmental protection and economic growth in communities across the state." The recycling efforts also save energy, reduce air and water pollution, and limit the need for virgin materials in manufacturing. According to the commonwealth's statistics, recycling 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.