Attention Perry County Recyclers!
Starting in January, 2011 all colors of container glass will be accepted at Perry County Recycling Program drop off sites.
Click here for details! (30 Kb)
Click here for a list of hard to recycle items and where to recycle them. (26Kb)
Program History
Perry County’s recycling program was started over 15 years ago by three municipalities that worked together to start a drop-off site. Greenwood Township,Tuscarora Township and the Millerstown Borough joined forces to provide the manpower and equipment necessary for recycling in their area. Since the establishment of that first site, the County’s program grew to nine drop-off sites which were operated by volunteers dedicated to the recycling cause. The County supported the program by providing administration and a recycling hauler. The necessary containers were obtained with grants and Township funding. Perry County recycles an average of 558 tons of materials annually.*
Each drop-off is open one Saturday morning a month, and volunteers are on hand to collect and help sort recyclables. The following items are collected at the drop-offs: cardboard, newspaper, bi-metal cans, aluminum cans, #1 PETE plastic, #2 HDPE Plastic, magazines, books and office paper (sheets or shredded). Items are sorted by material type in order to increase their marketability and value. The County’s hauler sells the items to a number of different end users. The majority of the newspaper collected at the drop-offs is used as cow bedding by area farmers.
* Based on 2001-2005 drop-off and store recycling figures.
Why do these dedicated volunteers spend their Saturday mornings recycling? They know that:
1) Collected recyclables are transported to an end user and transformed into useful raw materials.
|
Metal Cans to Cars |
Used Cans to New Cans |
#1 PETE to Fleece Sweaters
2) Recycling decreases the amount of trash going to landfills and to illegal dumps.
3) Recycling saves precious natural resources.
Petroleum |
Trees |
Ore |
Recycling at the drop-offs is not the only recycling going on in the county. Marysville Borough provides recycling opportunities with its trash collection service. The major food stores in the county recycle tons of cardboard and plastic bags each year through their internal recycling programs. The county sponsors an electronics recycling collection in an effort to reduce the number of computers, computer peripherals, stereos, TVs, DVD players, printers, copiers and a range of other potentially hazardous electronic equipment from going in landfills and in illegal dumps.
For additional information or if you are interested in volunteering at the drop-off sites, please contact the Perry Conservation District at (717)-582-5139 or the recycling coordinators listed.
