The Professional Recyclers of PA, the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and the Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America this week announced the winners of the 2004 Waste Watcher Awards.

The program aims to recognize outstanding recycling, waste reduction, reuse and composting programs from across the state.

A total of 51 winners are being recognized this year for their contributions to Pennsylvania’s recycling industry. Awards are being presented to municipalities, counties, private businesses, sports teams and community organizations in thirteen categories: Curbside Recycling; Drop-Off Recycling; Pay-As-You-Throw Programs; Special Collections; Commercial/Institutional Recycling; Recycling Education Programs; Materials Processing Facilities; Recycled Product Manufacturing; Composting Facility; Home Composting; Reuse; Green Procurement; and Multiple Year.

“We congratulate all of the winners for their commitment to recycling and waste reduction efforts,” PROP Executive Director John Frederick said.

Award winners will be recognized at local events in early 2005. Here are the list of award winners by county--

· Adams County: Adams Rescue Mission (Materials Processing); Barthle Communications (Recycling Education); Penn State Cooperative Extension (Home Composting);

· Allegheny County: Southwest PA Household Hazardous Waste Task Force (Special Collections);

· Berks County: Boy Scout Troop 505 (Reuse);

· Blair County: Altoona Area High School Music Parents Association (Reuse); Altoona Central Catholic School (Commercial/Institutional Recycling); Claysburg Kimmel High School (Commercial/Institutional Recycling); Muddy Paws Garden Club (Home Composting); South Hills School of Business and Technology (Commercial/Institutional Recycling);

· Bucks County: Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer, Waste Management and the Neshaminy Mall (Multiple Year); Franklin Delano Roosevelt Middle School (Recycling Education); Lower Makefield Township (Composting Facility);

· Centre County: Beaver Stadium Recycling Effort – Penn State University, Centre County Solid Waste Authority, Hemlock Council of the Girl Scouts of America and the Juniata Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America (Special Collections); Borough of State College (Composting Facility, Multiple Year); Centre Region Council of Governments (Green Procurement); Centre County Solid Waste Authority (Drop Off Recycling, Curbside Recycling, Special Collections, Materials Processing, Recycling Education, Multiple Year); Penn State Housing, Penn State Office of Physical Plant and the Centre County United Way (Reuse); Penn State University (Composting Facility); Penns Valley Area School District (Commercial/Institutional Recycling);

· Chester County: Willistown Township Environmental Council (Special Collections);

· Clinton County: Clinton County Solid Waste Authority (Curbside Recycling, Drop Off Recycling, Materials Processing);

· Columbia County: Town of Bloomsburg (Curbside Recycling, Drop Off Recycling, Special Collections, Materials Processing, Recycling Education, Multiple Year);

· Cumberland County: Big Spring Area Recycling (Drop Off Recycling); Solid Waste Authority of Cumberland County and Cumberland County (Recycling Education);

· Dauphin County: Mack Trucks Inc., Packaging and Design Evaluation Team, Middletown Remanufacturing Center and Packaging and Design Evaluation Team, York Container Company, Mt. Zion Road Facility (Green Procurement);

· Delaware County: Delaware County Solid Waste Authority and the County of Delaware (Special Collections); Brad Schoener, Upper Darby School District (Recycling Education);

· Erie County: Waste Management Erie and Lake View Landfill (Special Collections);

· Huntingdon County: The Huntingdon County Arts Council and Huntingdon Borough (Recycling Education); Huntingdon County Recycling Office (Special Collections); Huntingdon County Chapter of PA CleanWays (Special Collections, Recycling Education); James Garthe, Huntingdon County Chapter of PA CleanWays (Recycling Education); Park’s Transfer and Recycling Center (Special Collections);

· Lancaster County: Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (Special Collections);

· Lebanon County: City of Lebanon (Drop Off Recycling, Special Collections); Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority (Recycling Education); Jubilee Ministries (Reuse); Kapp Advertising Service Inc. (Commercial/Institutional Recycling); Lebanon Cowboys Football Team (Reuse, Commercial/Institutional Recycling);

· Lehigh County: Good Shepherd Work Services (Reuse); Lehigh County Office of Solid Waste and Recycling (Recycling Education, Composting Facility);

· Luzerne County: Luzerne County Solid Waste Management Department (Special Collections);

· Montgomery County: Abington Township (Composting Facility, Curbside Recycling); Merck and Co. Inc., West Point Site (Commercial/Institutional Recycling); Upper Merion Township (Recycling Education);

· Northampton County: City of Bethlehem (Pay As You Throw, Reuse, Composting Facility, Commercial/Institutional Recycling, Curbside Recycling, Drop Off Recycling, Recycling Education, Multiple Year);

· Philadelphia County: The Philadelphia Eagles (Commercial/Institutional Recycling);

· Westmoreland County: PA CleanWays Inc. (Recycling Education); PA CleanWays Westmoreland County (Home Composting, Special Collections).

11/21/2004