State Department of Environmental Protection Secretary James M. Seif recently announced $4.5 million in grants to fund recycling programs in 16 counties. Twenty-eight grants will establish or augment local curbside and drop-off recycling, yard-waste composting, recycling-facility funding, and community education.

"The value of our household recycling program goes beyond counting tons and these dollars," Seif said at a Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing. "Recycling teaches millions of Pennsylvanians environmental stewardship and the value of conserving our resources. It teaches us we all play a role in protecting the environment."

The 16 counties benefiting from the current round of grants are Bradford, Carbon, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in organized recycling. The Commonwealth has 1,400-plus community-based recycling programs, serving 9 million residents. At least 65 percent of those programs are voluntary.