<b>Pennsylvania Awards $39M in Recycling Grants</b>

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through its Department of Environmental Protection, Recycling Development and Implementation Grants make up $34 million, with the money going to 233 municipalities and counties to help them establish recycling programs, purchase supplies and materials and provide environmental education.

The state also is allocating an additional $5 million in performance grants to 366 communities for recycling close to 300,000 tons of material more this year.

According to a release sent by the state’s DEP, the tonnage collected brings the recycling rate close to the goal set by the state.

This year’s awards include three grants of $2 million each to Centre County; Lycoming County; and West Mead Township, Crawford County. Six grantees will receive grants of more than $1 million, including the cities of Bethlehem and Philadelphia, and the counties of Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne and Monroe.

“Nearly 10 million Pennsylvanians will benefit from the programs that these grants will fund,” said David E. Hess, Acting DEP Secretary. “And these grants also support a $21.3 billion industry in Pennsylvania that employs more than 81,000 people with a payroll of $2.9 billion.”

The performance grants are awarded to municipalities based on the amount of materials they recycle every year. Bethlehem, Northampton County, received the largest amount, $279,415, for recycling 12,847 tons of materials. The smallest grant, $17, went to Lenhartsville, Berks County, for recycling 2.6 tons of materials.

“Performance grants are a reward to municipalities for their recycling efforts,” Hess said. “We encourage municipal leaders to use the money to promote and expand recycling in their communities or use it for other green projects.”