Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) – a statewide environmental organization dedicated to reducing waste – celebrates a milestone in 2022 as it launches the 20th season of hosting hard-to-recycle collection events: responsibly managing 3.3 million pounds of electronics recycling dropped off by residents of southwestern Pennsylvania. “Since 2003, PRC has provided responsible and convenient disposal for items that are not eligible for curbside recycling, such as e-waste, tires, Freon-containing appliances and more,” says PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman. “For good reason, regulations ban the disposal of televisions and other items via landfills and incinerators. People need to find responsible methods for recycling e-waste, and PRC remains committed to the safe, ethical, and responsible recycling of electronic waste and other hard-to-recycle materials.”
Since launching hard-to-recycle collection events in 2003, PRC and its partners have facilitated the safe management of 3,350,000 pounds of e-waste in addition to tires, Freon appliances, fluorescent tubes and other materials not accepted in curbside recycling.
In 2022, PRC will host four events in Allegheny County taking place 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.:
- June 4 – Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer Township, Allegheny County
- July 23 – Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale, Allegheny County
- July 30 – Next Tier Connect @ Pittsburgh East, Monroeville, Allegheny County
- October 1 – Settlers Cabin Park, Allegheny County
Participants must register in advance at www.prc.org/collectionevents or by calling 412-488-7490×1.
“The growth of PRC’s hard-to-recycle collections has been phenomenal, starting out in 2003 as a small series of events collecting paint and appliances that attracted about 100 people per event,” according to PRC Deputy Director Sarah Alessio Shea, who has coordinated the campaign for the past 15 years. “Over the years, PRC has expanded the footprint of where these events take place and expanded the types of materials accepted. Today we attract 500 to 1,000 people per event who drop off thousands of pounds of materials for recycling.”
The 2022 PRC hard-to-recycle collection campaign is sponsored by Allegheny County Health Department, Colcom Foundation, Frazer Township, LANXESS, Pennsylvania American Water, 11 Cares and 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA. “We are proud of our 20 years of hard work protecting the environment – safeguarding habitats and communities,” says Spielman. “We thank the many supporters over the past two decades who have helped PRC to serve more than 40,000 households, and we look forward to serving many more in communities across the state in the future.”