Business Recycling

Pennsylvania Act 101 and Monroeville Ordinance 1710

Pennsylvania Act 101 and Monroeville Ordinance 1710 require commercial, municipal, and institutional establishments to recycle a number of materials.

Monroeville is mandated to recycle under the Municipal Waste Planning Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 101. Monroeville's ordinance 1710 requires all commercial, municipal and institutional establishments in Monroeville to implement recycling programs to separate high-grade office paper, cardboard, aluminum, and leaf waste as of January 21, 1991.

Financial Incentives

Reducing the number of materials in the garbage dumpster may reduce the frequency of hauler service, thus potentially cutting costs. Furthermore, recycling may result in the need for a smaller-sized garbage dumpster or fewer dumpsters, leading to additional cost savings. By reporting the amount of material recycled, your business helps Monroeville obtain its eligible share of recycling performance grant funds. The extra funds enable Monroeville to provide better services to the community. For more information about reporting your recycling efforts, call the Municipality of Monroeville at 412-856-3488.

Remember, recycling creates a positive public image for your business and demonstrates good citizenship in the community.

The Market for Recycled Materials

Cardboard, paper, and aluminum, to name a few, are widely traded commodities. By recycling these materials, your business may reap cost savings passed on by your recycling hauler.

Environmental Incentives

Recycling saves energy, reduces pollution, and prevents waste. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 6,953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, and 3 cubic yards of landfill space.

What Does This Mean for Monroeville?

In 2002, Monroeville businesses recycled enough office paper to save over 2,200 cubic yards of landfill space, almost 13,000 trees, over 350,000 gallons of oil, and over 5 million gallons of water combined.

Of the more than 4,000 tons of corrugated cardboard Monroeville businesses recycled in 2002, approximately 54.5% was converted into new cardboard boxes, 19.5% paperboard, 1% tissue, 18.9% was exported, and 6.1% was for other uses.

Plenty of Room For Improvement

As much as 93% of all office waste is paper, most of it recyclable. Typical business offices generate almost 2 pounds of waste paper per employee each day. Commercial recyclables account for 50% of all materials that could be diverted from landfill disposal.

Practical Recycling For Small Businesses

A small office may not be able to effectively recycle by itself, due to producing too little volume to justify the costs of collection, but they still benefit from taking the steps below.