Pennsylvania Resources Council hopes to increase recycling rates at local apartment complexes.
They’ll host trainings with residents in select complexes and provide additional recycling bins to make recycling more efficient.
The Mackey Lofts in Uptown, will be the first of 15 complexes in the county to be a part of this initiative.
“Just by using single stream recycling at the Mackey Lofts with only 43 apartments they can keep approximate 35,000 pounds of materials out of our landfill every single year,” said Mary Kate Ranii, Program Coordinator at The Pennsylvania Resources Council.
The EPA estimates that the average American produces 4.4 pounds of waste daily – and half of that can be recycled. Multifamily residents historically have lower recycling rates than those who live in single family homes.
"Both residents and commercial businesses are required by law in Pennsylvania to recycle but these multi unit buildings fall through the cracks," Ranii said. "We're working to help fill in those cracks."
The 15 units included in the project range from having fairly strong recycling programs all the way down to have little or no effort.
