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PennEnvironment, PA Resources Council Host Sept. 21 Webinar On A Plan To Reduce Waste, Improve Recycling Efforts, And Meet Modern Waste Challenges

Join PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, the Pennsylvania Resources Council and other waste experts for a September 21 webinar on their plan to reduce waste, improve recycling efforts and bring Pennsylvania’s antiquated recycling laws into the 21st Century.

A new report released by PA Resources Council and PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center outlines how Pennsylvania’s solid waste laws haven’t kept up with the growing problems facing local recycling programs, trash disposal, and significant changes in the items making up Pennsylvania’s waste stream.

Act 101, the landmark 1988 recycling law that made Pennsylvania a leader in 1988 needs multiple updates to meet the demands of today’s economy.

PRC and PennEnvironment called on Act 101 to be modernized to address the Commonwealth’s growing waste problem, improve public health, clean up the environment and create jobs for Pennsylvanians.

Act 101 established four main goals in order to manage municipal waste, advance recycling and protect public health and safety.

While the Act led to important changes across the state, the new analysis finds that the Commonwealth has fallen short on all four goals--

-- Efforts to educate Pennsylvanians about recycling have fallen short due to budget cuts;

-- Waste generation has grown;

-- The Commonwealth is not using and procuring recyclable products to the extent it can; and

-- The overall state recycling rate is uncertain due to inadequate data collection.

Challenges in waste management and recycling abound in and across Pennsylvania.

Waste Generation Going Up, Recycling Is Down

Waste generation has grown by 45% between 1990 and 2018.

Ali Tarquino Morris, Director of DEP’s Bureau of Waste Management, will tell DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council on September 20--

-- Overall amount of waste generated in Pennsylvania has increased 8.3 percent between 2015 and 2021-- from 14.3 million tons to 15.6 million tons.

-- Municipal waste generated in Pennsylvania has increased 10.1 percent-- 8.62 million tons in 2015 to 8.59 million tons in 2021.

-- Residual waste (industrial waste) generated in Pennsylvania has increased 7.1 percent-- from 2.99 million tons in 2015 to 3.22 million tons in 2021

-- The overall amount of waste being disposed in the state has increased 9.3 percent between 2015 to 2021-- 21.4 million tons to 23.6 million tons.

-- Nearly 12 million Pennsylvanians are actively recycling, however, the amount of material recycled peaked in 2014 at just over 9.19 million tons.

-- In 2019, the most recent year available, 5.25 million tons were recycled, which is roughly the same amount that was recycled in 2004-- 5.14 million tons.

Click Here for a copy of her presentation.

New products are being made that have no good end use plans, such as single-use plastics and e-waste.

And recycling funding has been stagnant, which is leading to cities cutting the types and amounts of recycling that they collect.

PRC and PennEnvironment outline a series of 15 recommendations in the report to improve the state of recycling and waste management in Pennsylvania, including--

-- Enforcing existing Act 101 provisions such as requiring additional recycling by Commonwealth agencies;

-- Developing a mandatory set of materials to be recycled that all municipalities must follow;

Enacting landfill bans for certain materials, such as aluminum and steel cans, which are endlessly recyclable; and

-- Implementing new policies such as “right to repair” legislation that would allow Pennsylvania consumers to have access to tools and services to repair goods rather than dispose of them, as well as deposit return systems for beverage containers.

Click Here for more information on the Plan.

Presenters include--

-- Sarah Alessio Shea, Deputy Director of Pennsylvania Resources Council;

-- Faran Savitz, Zero Waste Advocate for PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center;

-- And other experts will present.

To register for the September 21 online program, Click Here. It will be held from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PennEnvironment and Pennsylvania Resources Council websites.

Related Articles:

-- DEP Outlines Recommendations For Changing Act 101 And Electronics Waste Recycling Laws To Make Them More Effective At Dec. 16 Advisory Committee Meeting

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets Sept. 20 To Hear Waste Program Overview, State Water Plan Update And Discuss A Transition Paper For Incoming Governor

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Bans Sale Of Electronic Devices Made By 4 Manufacturers Not Complying With PA’s Electronic Waste Recycling Law [PaEN]