The borough of Palmerton has been awarded $8,160 from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under the Recycling Performance Grant Program, Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) announced.
"This grant program supplies needed state funding to ensure that communities in Carbon County continue to expand recycling in our area," said Heffley. "The more we recycle, the less waste that gets dumped in landfills, and the more energy we save."
The Recycling Performance Grant Program reimburses municipal authorities and other entities for half the salary of the recycling coordinator.
The program was established in 1988 with the passage of the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act. The grant received by Palmerton is based on the 490 tons of waste the borough recycled during the 2009 calendar year.
The DEP recycling program promotes economic growth and provides municipalities and counties with incentives to increase the amount of materials recovered from the waste stream. This grant is in addition to the funds DEP allocates to municipalities to establish and maintain recycling programs.
According to the most recent statistics available through DEP, Carbon County recycled 5,775 tons of recyclable materials: plastics, paper and cardboard, aluminum and other metals and yard waste combined. Pennsylvania recycled nearly 5.5 million tons of post-consumer waste in 2008.
According to DEP, in 2005, recycling in Pennsylvania saved more than 98 trillion BTUs of energy, enough to power 941,000 houses. By recycling more than 1.2 million tons of steel in 2005, Pennsylvanians saved 1.4 million tons of iron ore, 829,786 tons of coal, and 71,124 tons of limestone.
For additional information on recycling, municipal waste planning and waste reduction, visit the DEP website at www.dep.state. pa.us.
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Palmerton residents can recycle all they want, nothing will change until people open their eyes. Perhaps the DEP should come sit here & watch as the garbage trucks come by. They empty all the recyling into the REGULAR TRASH TRUCK even though it is CLEARLY in BLUE RECYCLING CAN EVERY WEEK! In addition, my landlord advised me to "stop" recycling because I was putting too much out!!!! I tried to be green & religiously recycled everything I could. I always felt better about being green. I even got into a fight with my husband because he wouldn't recycle. He warned me it did not make a difference the trash men pick it up regardless. After our fight, curiosity got the best of me. For the last month I have watched every week as my recycling cans are emptied into the trash truck with everything else. Why waste the time when it does not even go to any recycling center. Not to mention my landlord actually forbidding me to recycle. How are Palmerton Residents ever going to contribute to going green when it is not in our hands! Somebody needs to open their eyes. Sure we can take the grant but will it actually make a difference. I thought so but as my husband stated the facts & my landlord layed down the law.... It don't matter it all goes to the same place. If you live in Palmerton, test the trash men out, you will see what I am talking about!