Over 220 enthusiastic recycling officials and recycling and compost industry representatives attended the 14^th annual statewide recycling conference in Wilkes-Barre this week organized by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania (PROP).

In addition to more than two dozen workshops, plenary sessions and PROP’s annual dinner, graduation ceremonies were held for over 30 individuals who completed either the first level courses to be a certified recycling professional or the senior certification program.

PROP’s certification program overall has attracted over 680 participants and will so go online shortly with its training program to serve anyone with Internet access.

Of significant concern to many attendees was the financial condition of the state’s Recycling Fund which this year will provide over $68 million to support local recycling and composting, county waste planning and host municipal inspector programs.

Although the $2 per ton Recycling Fee supporting the program will not sunset until January 2009, DEP has estimated the last full round of 902 recycling set up grants it can offer will be in fiscal year 2005-06 which starts July 1, 2005. In 2006-07 the Fund will start to show a deficit of $589,000 increasing to $37.6 million in 2008-09 due primarily to the payoff of recycling grants for the two previous years.

PROP leadership will be meeting to develop a strategy for dealing with the Recycling Fund issues. In addition, DEP will be discussing this issue at the next Recycling Fund Advisory Committee meeting on August 12.

DEP is planning to offer a $20 million round of new 902 recycling set up grants later this year and will make an announcement of the current year’s 902 grants, which resulted in 200 applications for $49 million in grant funds, in the near future.

Conference attendees also heard an update of the next phase of the Waste Characterization Study DEP started three years ago. The first phase identified opportunities for additional recycling, including composting organics, collecting and marketing more fibers (newspaper and cardboard) and noted changes in the waste stream itself since Pennsylvania’s Recycling Act was passed in 1988.

For example, many more containers are now plastic rather than glass and even plastic containers are 22 percent lighter than they were just 10 years ago.

The dilemma presented by these changes means the traditional measures of success for recycling programs – tons collected and taken out of the waste stream – is no longer an accurate measure. Alternative measures, primarily pointing out the energy, economic return on investment and other environmental benefits of recycling, need to be more fully developed.

The current phase of the Study is looking in detail at the efficiencies and opportunities in local material recovery facilities (MRFs) which should be available after September and DEP’s review.

Several speakers pointed to the need to make recycling programs more sustainable by capturing as much revenue as possible from the recyclable material collected. The example of Minneapolis recycling program was highlighted which recently bid out the recyclables it collects and generated more than $6.1 million in revenue, enough to pay for their recycling program.

PROP is lead by President Chuck Raudenbush, Waste Management, Inc., Lori Robson, Northern Tier Solid Waste Management Authority, Vice-President, Joanne Shafer, Centre County Solid Waste Management Authority, Treasurer, Amy Mazzella di Bosco, Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority, Secretary and Tanya McCoy-Caretti, Cambria County Solid Waste Authority, Committee Chair.

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Learn How to Compost In Your Own Backyard

7/30/2004