Waste fee gets recycled

Household recycling was just about to get a whole lot harder. Or, probably more expensive.

But the state legislature stepped in.

For years, Pennsylvania has charged trash companies a $2-a-ton waste disposal fee, and the $40 million-a-year raised goes back to communities in the form of recycling grants.

In a sort of success-begets-success logic, the more a community recycles, the more money it gets. Communities use the money for new bins, educational programs ... you get the gist.

The fee was set to expire in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, but earlier today the House of Representatives voted to agree on Senate amendments to legislation that would keep the fee in place.

The measure was introduced by Rep. Ron Buxton, D-Dauphin, who says that recycling programs in Pennsylvania support nearly 80,000 jobs and 3,200 businesses with revenues exceeding $18 billion.

Meanwhile, another portion of the bill would provide $1.25 million a year for four consecutive years to clean up waste tire piles across the state. Must be a lot of them.

The legislation is headed to the governor for his signature.