The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and the Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America announced the winners of the 2008 Waste Watchers Awards this week to recognize Pennsylvania’s most outstanding recycling programs/projects.

This year nearly 50 municipalities, counties, private businesses, individuals and community organizations are being recognized for going above and beyond what is mandated under Act 101 for their communities or programs.

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

In addition to the regular awards, four award winners have been recognized for extraordinary efforts in 2007. These special award winners have distinguished themselves by involving youth in recycling, creating jobs (especially for special needs employees) and for diverting higher amounts of materials in special collections.

These special Award winners are: the Fairview Township School District, Greene ARC, the Associates from the Milesburg CCDA Waters Manufacturing Facility and the combined efforts of Alliance Landfill, Apex Waste Services and Beach Lake Transfer Station.

Act 101 – the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act – will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary and has helped generate significant economic and environmental benefits.

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 2008 Waste Watchers Award Winners by County are--

Adams County - Gettysburg College along with the United Way of Adams County

Beaver County - CENTRIA

Blair County - Roaring Spring Paper Products

Bucks County - Waste Management of PA along with the Newspapers in Education Dept. of the Bucks County Courier Times and the Intelligencer Newspapers

Centre County Associates from CCDA Waters Manufacturing Facility (Coca-Cola)- Special Award Winner, Benjamin's Catering, Boy Scouts of America Venturing Crew # 333, Boy Scouts of America Troop # 367, Centre County Solid Waste Authority, Centre Region COG – Brooks Parker, Elly Engle, Harris Township, Penn State University, Penn State Dept of Crop and Soil Sciences, Room Doctor Furniture Co., SRI International, The Art Alliance of Central PA, The Borough of State College, Webster's Bookstore Café

Clinton County - Clinton County Solid Waste Authority

Columbia County - Town of Bloomsburg

Dauphin County - Mack Trucks- Packaging Team

Erie County - Fairview Township School District – Special Award Winner, Waste Management of Erie along with- Borough of Edinboro, Borough of Union City, City of Erie, Fairview Township, Harborcreek Township, Lawrence Park Township, Millcreek Township, Summit Township, Washington Township

Greene County - Greene ARC – Special Award Winner

Lackawanna and Wayne Counties - Alliance Landfill along with Apex Waste Services and Beach Lake Transfer Station – Special Award Winner

Lancaster County - Agri Marketing Inc, dba USA Gypsum, Lancaster Cty SWA

Lehigh County - City of Allentown- Bureau of Recycling & Solid Waste

Lehigh & Northampton - Bethlehem Recycling Bureau

Luzerne County - Luzerne County Solid Waste Management

Montgomery County - Upper Merion Townships "Good Neighbor Recycling Awards Program"

Northampton County - Just Born Inc.- Green Team

Wayne County - State Correctional Institute at Waymart

Westmoreland County - Levin Furniture

A description of each winner is available online (Exel Spreadsheet format).

For more information, visit the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania website.

7/18/2008