INFO on Recycling in your area:

Greater Philadelphia Area
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Altoona/State College/Johnstown
Erie
Lancaster/York
Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton
Greater Pittsburgh Area
Greater Harrisburg Area
Reading
Lewisburg/Williamsport
Central Pennsylvania
Eastern Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania

General Pennsylvania Recycling Information

Recycling is the law in PA! And it has been since 1988, when the state passed Act 101, the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction Act.

At the time, Act 101 made PA the largest state in the county to mandate recycling and today, one tenth of all curbside recycling programs in the nation are in Pennsylvania!

Act 101:

• Mandated curbside recycling programs in communities with more than 5,000 people.
  
• Set up The Recycling Fund, which provides grants to local PA governments that need financial help to create and implement recycling programs in their communities.
  
• Required landfill and waste-to-energy facilities (trash incinerators) to create recycling drop-off centers.
  
• Mandated that all commercial, institutional, and municipal establishments and sponsors of community (such as fairs, concerts and organized sporting events) in mandatory recycling communities must recycle aluminum, high-grade office paper, corrugated paper and leaves.

Thanks to Act 101, more than 9 million Pennsylvanians in 870 communities are recycling at their curbside. 450 of those programs are voluntary, as they are taking place in communities with less than 5,000 people.

Pennsylvania also has a hazardous waste disposal program, tire recycling program, and an oil and automotive battery-recycling program. Check out the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's website at www.dep.state.pa.us for more information.

What materials does Act 101 require for recycling?

Act 101 requires communities of more than 5,000 residents to choose a minimum of 3 materials out of the following list for curbside pick-up:

• Clear glass containers
  
• Colored glass containers
  
• High-grade office paper
  
• Newsprint
  
• Corrugated paper
  
• Aluminum cans
  
• Steel and bi-metallic cans
  
• Plastics

And it requires communities to pick up leaves and branches for composting.

What other materials is it possible to recycle in Pennsylvania?
You can also recycle used motor oil and automotive batteries. To find out how, go to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's website .

Where can I find out more about recycling in my town or city?
Since the passage of Act 101, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been coordinating recycling efforts in the small towns, suburbs, and large cities of Pennsylvania through County Recycling Coordinators. You can find the name and address of your County Recycling Coordinator on the Department of Environmental Protection's website, or by contact the PA DEP for Recycling Information at ra-eprecyclepa@state.pa.us or 800-346-4242.

Another great resource for information on local recycling programs is Earth 911's searchable database of municipal recycling programs. For more information, visit Earth 911.

What about Reuse?
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has a great reuse and buy-recycled website with lots of information on ways to reuse products or buy recycled ones. There's information for individuals, households, schools, businesses, industries, and even farmers and local governments.