Penn. State Mandates Summit Township to Have Recycling Program, Residents to Pay for It

Summit Township, of Erie, Pa., residents will now have to pay for recycling whether they want a recycling service or not, due to new state law mandates.

Previously, the township paid for the recycling service. Now, curbside recycling pickup is resuming, after not having a service since sometime in 2022, without a contract in place with a refuse company. The township is working to secure a contract with a refuse company and now residents will be on the hook for the bill.

If Summit Township fails to provide a recycling service to its residents, it could face penalties from the state.

“It’s $12 right now, but it could go to 24 a month. It could go to $100 a month. There is no set cap on what the waste haulers can charge for recyclables,” said Steven Moffett, a Summit Township resident.

“I don’t know that they’ve ever been tested, but the state can penalize us with the State Liquid Fuels program, which is about $280,000 a year that helps us pay for roadwork and resurfacing,” said Jack Lee, a Summit Township supervisor.

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