Governor Rendell Awards $1.2 Million to Help Businesses Increase Use of Recyclable Materials in Finished Products

Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced four Pennsylvania companies will receive $1.2 million in financial assistance to increase their use of recycled materials in the production of finished goods.
HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced four Pennsylvania companies will receive $1.2 million in financial assistance to increase their use of recycled materials in the production of finished goods.
Recycling Market Infrastructure Development grants enable companies to invest in their own operations, contribute to the growing recycling industry in Pennsylvania and at the same time help improve the overall business and economic climates in the commonwealth.

“Recycling plays an important role in managing the waste we generate,” said Governor Rendell. “It reduces the amount of material that is sent to landfills and incinerators for disposal. But it does much more than that. To truly complete the recycling process and make it work to everyone’s advantage, we must also reuse our recycled materials more efficiently.”

The reimbursement grants are awarded to businesses and nonprofit organizations that manufacture a product or reuse an existing product with recyclable material from Pennsylvania. Entities that want to begin using recyclable material are also eligible. Grants of up to $500,000 are available for any single recycling infrastructure development project.

“Our goals are to build strong markets for recycled materials in Pennsylvania and increase the use of recyclable materials in the production of finished products,” said Governor Rendell. “We realize that by putting our recycled materials to better use, these companies will help generate economic growth and opportunities for themselves and others. Recycling makes good business sense because it saves our resources, saves energy, and reduces pollution which makes for a cleaner and safer environment.”

According to the 2009 Recycling Economic Impact Study completed by the Northeast Recycling Council, Pennsylvania has approximately 3,800 recycling and reuse establishments and 52,000 Pennsylvanians employed in recycling, reuse, or remanufacturing operations. These businesses have an annual Pennsylvania payroll of approximately $2.2 billion and sales receipts of approximately $20.5 billion.

### The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a by-county list of the four Recycling Market Infrastructure Development grants:

BLAIR COUNTY

Team Ten, LLC (dba American Eagle Paper Mills) – $500,000 to add dispersion and bleaching systems to its recycled fiber operations. This will enable AEPM to process and use an additional 14,880 tons annually of fiber rejects and junk mail from Pennsylvania sources, increase the post- consumer fiber content in its paper products, and reduce its annual operating expenses.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Chambersburg Waste Paper Co. Inc. -- $82,240 to purchase a high-capacity fiber shredder, capable of manufacturing up to 5,750 tons of animal bedding annually. The bedding material will be made from recycled newspaper, cardboard, and junk mail collected from the local area.

LANCASTER COUNTY

Casual Living Unlimited LLC -- $493,936 to purchase post-consumer and post-industrial high density polyethylene plastic processing equipment and an additional extruder. This will enable the company to improve the quality of its recycled plastic feed stock used to manufacture outdoor furniture. The company will be able to use 890 tons of recycled waste plastic from Pennsylvania sources. This project will also create five new full-time positions.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

Meridian Precision Inc. -- $132,047 to purchase pulverizing equipment that will increase the use of recyclable plastic materials and allow the company to process traditionally more challenging waste plastics such as post consumer film, shrink wrap and other commingled and cross-contaminations plastics. The company will use an additional 900 tons per year of waste plastics, 240 tons of which will be from post-consumer sources and create six new full-time positions and three part-time positions.

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Dept. of Environmental Protection Commonwealth News Bureau Room 308, Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/9/2009

CONTACT: Teresa Candori (DEP) Phone: (717) 787-1323 Susan Woods Phone: 717-783-1116