What does recycling mean to PA?
Recycling Helps Pennsylvania’s Economy
Recycling manufacturing involves the conversion of recyclables into new products. The primary recycling industries in Pennsylvania are steel mills, paper and paperboard mills, plastic converters, glass container plants and nonferrous metal manufacturers. These and other recycling manufactures employ more than 64,000 people with a payroll of almost $2.5 billion and annual sales of more than $15.5 billion.
Reuse and remanufacturing focuses on the refurbishing and repair of products. The largest activities are retail sales of used motor vehicle parts and used merchandise. Reuse and remanufacturing contributes more than 7,000 jobs, a payroll of $115 million and sales of more than $500 million annually.
Municipal and private collectors, material recovery and composting facilities and recyclable material wholesalers employ nearly 10,000 people in Pennsylvania with a payroll of $284 million and annual sales of $2.3 billion.
Recycling Contributes to State Revenues
Pennsylvania tax revenues from recycling and reuse businesses are estimated at $305 million dollars per year.
Recycling Provides Industry with an Environmentally Preferable Source of Raw Materials
Supplying industry with recycled materials, rather than virgin resources extracted from forests and mines, is environmentally preferable because it saves energy, reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and other dangerous air and water pollutants, and conserves scarce natural resources. In 2002, Pennsylvania recycling programs supplied industry with nearly three million tons of commodities like metals, paper, glass, plastics, wood, organics and other materials.
Recycling Conserves Natural Resources
Recycling in Pennsylvania reduced greenhouse gas emissions by two million metric tons. This is equivalent to avoiding the air pollution from nearly 1.3 million passenger cars annually.
Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Recycling in Pennsylvania reduced greenhouse gas emissions by two million metric tons. This is equivalent to avoiding the air pollution from nearly 1.3 million passenger cars annually.
Recycling Saves Energy
Recycling in Pennsylvania saves more than 46 trillion BTUs of energy each year, enough to power 439,494 homes and the equivalent of saving 372.7 million gallons of gasoline.
Recycling Reduces Emissions of Air and Water Pollutants
Pennsylvania’s recycling efforts reduce air emissions by 2.3 million tons and water pollution reductions total more than 8,000 tons each year.
