Factsheet: Bringing Pennsylvania’s Recycling into the 21st Century

When passed in 1988, Pennsylvania’s landmark recycling law known as “Act 101” was seen as groundbreaking. But as the law prepares to celebrate its 35th anniversary, it is clear that Act 101 is outdated and hasn’t kept up with our solid waste crisis or the global “throwaway society” facing Pennsylvania and the planet.

A new report written by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and our partners at the Pennsylvania Resources Council uncovers the challenges in Pennsylvania’s waste management and recycling efforts, and shows how Pennsylvania has fallen short of the goals set out by the original authors of Act 101. This factsheet lays out key findings from the report and solutions for our leaders to follow to bring recycling in PA into the 21st century.