The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the Blair County Intermunicipal Relations Committee, announced an aggressive marketing campaign, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…Repeat” designed to educate the residents of Blair County about curbside recycling.

Educators, retailers, manufacturers and other business owners are being invited to attend specialized workshops that focus on how to properly recycle in their business setting.

Both at home and at the office, Blair County residents in the City of Altoona, Logan Township, as well as Tyrone and Hollidaysburg boroughs are all mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection to recycle.

The workshops are designed to educate business people how to comply with DEP regulations in order to improve recycling rates in the county. Workshop attendees will receive a specialized brochure that will pinpoint exactly what they need to know for proper (and simple to implement) recycling in their workplace.

In addition to workshops, PROP and the IRC are developing a residential brochure that will be arriving in mandated community mailboxes later in July. This customized brochure will provide curbside recycling schedules for each mandated community as well as specific tips on what can be recycled.

In 2006 a program audit by the DEP concluded that compliance and performance in Altoona, Logan Township, Tyrone and Hollidaysburg boroughs were poor. The DEP made a number of recommendations to the IRC to address the shortcomings, including the need for an extensive and comprehensive public relations/education campaign.

The IRC partnered with PROP in the spring to develop the campaign, with the first workshop being held for schools July 9. Educators from Altoona, Altoona Central Catholic, Bishop Guilfoyle and Hollidaysburg attended the session.

The complete workshop schedule is below--

· Commercial & Institutional Workshop, August 8. This workshop focuses on office recycling, and will also discuss the elements of all commercial and institutional recycling. Penn State Devorris Downtown Center, 1431 Twelfth Avenue, Altoona starting at 10:30 a.m.;

· Commercial & Institutional Workshop, August 11. Tyrone Borough Building, 1100 Logan Avenue, Tyrone starting at 10:30 a.m.;

· Commercial & Institutional Workshop, August 12. Hollidaysburg Borough Building, 401 Blair Street, Hollidaysburg starting at 10:30 a.m.; and

· Commercial & Institutional Workshop, August 13. Giant Eagle Market, Logantown Centre, Community Room, Logan Valley Mall starting at 1:30 p.m.; and

· Apartment/Multi-Family Workshop, August 15. Community Room, Eleventh Street Tower, Altoona starting at 10:30 a.m.

For more information on recycling in Pennsylvania, visit the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania website

7/18/2008