The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, PA Waste Industries Association and the Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America this week announced the winners of the 2009 Waste Watcher Awards to recognize Pennsylvania’s most outstanding recycling programs/projects.

The Waste Watcher awards are given to recycling, waste reduction, reuse and composting programs in Pennsylvania that have exhibited exemplary performance.

This year 70 plus municipalities, counties, private businesses, individuals and community organizations from throughout Pennsylvania are being recognized for going above and beyond what is mandated under Act 101 for their communities or programs.

Act 101 – the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act –has helped generate significant economic and environmental benefits for over 20 year now. Recycling has become a billion dollar industry in Pennsylvania.

With each passing year, there is a steady increase in the amount of collected recyclables and the number of jobs created by the industry. Recycling has saved precious resources and energy, limited greenhouse emissions and other air and water pollutants.

This growth and success is the result of a serious commitment to recycling by individuals, businesses, government and the recycling industry like these award winners.

The winners this year, by county, include:

Adams: Reading Township

Allegheny: The Mall at Robinson, CENTRIA, City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services-Recycling

Beaver: CENTRIA

Berks: The Mayor’s Kids for a Clean City

Blair: Seven D. Industries, L.P.

Bucks: The County Commissioners of Bucks Begin Committee, Springfield Township Environmental Advisory Council, Middletown Township, Waste Management of Pennsylvania and the NIE Departments of the Bucks, County Courier Times and the Intelligencer

Cambria: Cambria County Solid Waste Authority

Carbon: Carbon County Department of Solid Waste, Towamensing Township

Centre: Harris Township, Volunteers in Public Schools Specialist- State College School District, The Cooperative Playschool, State College Spikes, State College Friends School, Benjamin’s Catering

CCDA Waters, The Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania, Centre County Solid Waste Authority

Envinity, Inc, Borough of State College, The Pennsylvania State University, K-B Offset Printing, Inc

Hilex Poly Co. LLC, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel

Chester: Center for Arts and Technology, Pickering Campus DCEA, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. Health Services, Environmental Health & Safety Department, Borough of Phoenixville

Clearfield: Novey Recycling

Clinton: Clinton County Solid Waste Authority

Columbia: Town of Bloomsburg

Cumberland: Messiah College

Delaware: Radnor Township, Delaware County Solid Waste Authority, Township of Newtown

Erie: Engineered Plastics, Girl Scout Troop #30636

Franklin: Chambersburg Area School District

Fulton: International Environmental Management

Huntingdon: PA Cleanways of Huntingdon County, Standing Stone Coffee Company, Huntingdon County Recycling Office, Park’s Transfer Station and Recycling, Inc. and Querry Sanitation, Juniata Valley Sustainability Club, Boxer’s Café

Lackawanna County: Everything Natural, Cinram Manufacturing, LLC, Philip G. Ball Company

Lancaster: Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority

Lawrence: Lawrence County Recycling/Solid Waste Department, IPEC

Lehigh: Allentown Bureau of Recycling, Lehigh and Northampton, Bethlehem Recycling Bureau

Luzerne: Hazleton Oil and Envrionmental, Inc., Gensis Turfgrass, Inc

Lycoming: Lycoming County Resource Management

Monroe: Chestnuthill Township

Montgomery: Plymouth Township, Abington Township, Upper Merion Township's "Good Neighbor Recycling Award Program," Borough of Red Hill

Northampton: Just Born- Green Team

Northumberland: Borough of Milton

Philadelphia: FCR/Blue Mountain Recycling, City of Philadelphia Streets Department Recycling Office

Pike: Middle Smithfield Materials

Susquehanna: Susquehanna County Recycling Center

Westmoreland: Westmoreland Cleanways, Waste Management Valley Landfill

A list of past winners is available on the PROP Waste Watcher Awards webpage.