The National Recycling Coalition this year is celebrating America Recycles Day on November 15 as a way to remind the public of the valuable role recycling plays in conserving resources and energy.

In Pennsylvania, the largest state to require curbside recycling, we collected a record 4.86 million tons of municipal waste for recycling or composting in 2005, saving consumers and industries nearly $263 million in waste disposal costs and providing businesses with materials valued at $577 million.

Local recycling program income from recycling aluminum and plastic beverage containers alone is estimated at about $55 million annually.

And Pennsylvania’s community-based, curbside recycling programs are expanding by using concepts like those pioneered by RecycleBank.

RecycleBank has already helped neighborhoods in Philadelphia triple the participation and the amount of material they recycle resulting in significant savings in landfill disposal costs to the city.

The RecycleBank idea is simple, it provides people with an incentive for recycling more their waste by giving them up to $25 per month in redeemable coupons they choose. The more they recycle, the more coupons they get.

Learn more by going to the America Recycles Day webpage, try out the Recycling Calculator to help determine how recycling contributes to protecting the environment and take the Recycling Pledge.

For more information on recycling in Pennsylvania, visit the DEP Recycling webpage or checkout what’s being recycled in your municipality.

Links: RecycleBank Triples Recycling in Philadelphia Neighborhoods

Controller Recommends RecycleBank to Boost Recycling in Philadelphia

10/19/2007