Hazardous Waste Collection Award

5-COUNTY HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION AWARD

The Regional Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Program, consisting of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties, has been named by the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association (NAHMMA) as the 2011 Longstanding Program Excellence award winner. Since 1997 the five counties, through an intergovernmental agreement, have been able to share the administrative burden that often accompanies managing Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection programs. Through this process, the counties are able to achieve the best price (per pound, per material) for all waste streams. The partnership also allows any resident the opportunity to attend nearly 30 HHW collection events in the five-county region, allowing for a disposal option almost every other weekend of the year.

Over the years, the regional program has seen many successes and milestones. In 2010, the regional program collected approximately three million pounds of HHW and Electronics and served nearly 30,000 households. Since 2004, the program has nearly doubled the amount of material collected and households participating. The program, funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, has been recognized for its successes by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, receiving the “Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence” in 1999 and 2008. The program has also been recognized for outstanding achievement in special collections by receiving a “Waste Watcher” award in 2007 through the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, the state’s recycling organization.

NAHMMA is a professional organization established in November of 1993, dedicated to pollution prevention and reducing the hazardous constituents entering municipal waste streams from households, small businesses and other entities that may be exempt from local, regional or national regulations. For more information visit http://www.nahmma.org

PECO Cold Weather Tips

Philadelphia, PA (October 3, 2011) - The fall season is here and now is the time to prepare your home to stand up to old man winter, because he's just around the corner. PECO customers can learn how to save energy and money and find tips to get ready for winter, from the attic to the basement, on our Website atwww.peco.com/smartideas.

Customers can save energy and money using the following tips:

Warm up your heating system

• Have your furnace professionally inspected every two years. A well-maintained system will last longer, operate better and save you money.
• Replace the filter for your heat pump or furnace for the new heating season. Dirty filters block airflow and force equipment to work harder -- this increases operating costs and can cause damage.

Weatherize your home

• Inspect the insulation between heated and unheated areas to ensure insulation is at least six inches thick. Insulation is the single most important energy conservation measure. It will deteriorate over time and occasionally needs to be reinforced.
• Inspect the caulking or weather stripping around windows, doors and any openings to the outside such as dryer vents. A drafty house lets warm air escape and is much more costly to keep warm - especially on the coldest days of the season.
• Install plastic sheeting for windows if homes do not have storm windows or double pane windows.
• Remove window air conditioners if possible, or install an air conditioner cover to stop drafts.

  Read more: PECO Cold Weather Tips