GRANTS HELP EXPAND STATE'S COMPOSTING INFRASTRUCTURE

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Katherine McGinty, Secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, announced a total of $400,000 in Compost Infrastructure Development grants for 2008. "By diverting useful materials from landfills, we can create jobs and save money," said McGinty. "Organic waste such as food, grass clippings and brush account for more than onethird of all trash. These grants provide incentives for businesses to find value in these organic materials."

Grant applications will be accepted until July 18 and are available at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Compost. Up to $100,000/grant will be awarded. Additional consideration will be given to applications developed in consultation with the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (www.parmc.org; 717-948-6660). Last year, six grants were awarded, with recipients including farms, colleges and a nonprofit servicing a restaurant.

McGinty added that Pennsylvania's recycling and reuse industry leads Northeastern states in employment, payroll and sales numbers. More than 3,247 recycling and reuse businesses and organizations made more than $18.4 billion in gross annual sales, paid $305 million in taxes, and provided jobs for more than 81,322 employees at an annual payroll of approximately $2.9 billion.