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380AEW Article

380th AEW recycling program enters second phase of establishment

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
Southwest Asia --  The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's recycling program is kicking it up a notch with the addition of several new recycling receptacles across the base.

At present, aluminum cans, shredded white paper and cardboard are being recycled. In the near future, the program will tackle plastic bottles. These target areas will expand as the number of collection bins and dumpsters increase. Other materials concurrently being recycled by 380th Civil Engineer Squadron include scrap metals, used oils, used fuels and lead from batteries. It's key to remember that collection bins have been made indicating yellow for aluminum cans, blue for plastic water bottles, white for bagged shredded paper and desert tan for flattened cardboard.

Mr. Curt Williams, the 380th Expeditionary CES Environmental Program manager, said that planning for the new recycling program started in September of 2009 and the implementation of a six-month Pilot Recycling Program began in February 2010.

"February to August was a pilot recycling program; we initially focused strictly on aluminum cans and targeted a small focus area of 12 collection bins and two collection dumpsters," he said.

There are now 20 yellow collection bins and four collection dumpsters positioned to accept aluminum cans. These are currently located at the Community Activity Center, Thirsty Camel and Oasis, Windy's and Roy's dining facilities.

Emphasis will be placed on dormitory bay, shop and office chiefs to ensure occupants use the collection bins, as well as designating personnel to pull the bagged items from the bins and placing the bagged item into the correct color coded and labeled receiving dumpster. Additionally, these labeled and color coded collection dumpsters will continue to be positioned at key locations to accept bagged shredded white paper and flattened cardboard at prime points of generation.

Williams said that the recycling contract with a local vendor is at no cost to the government. He said the program will redirect much of the base's solid waste from our host nation sanitary landfills to marketable recycling avenues. He said 40 percent of all of the profits will be returned to the base by the contract vendor to fund select areas within the environmental program and special MWR requirements and events.

He said the program is dependent on the entire base population (military and civilian) putting the correct items into the correct bins. The program has 100 percent command support to minimize our solid waste stream, do the right thing and generate new revenue back to the base.

"Putting the wrong items into dumpster causes problems," he said. "It means somebody has to go into that dumpster, pull out the undesirable trash and re-bag the items correctly. It turns something that should be simple into something that is more complex. All collection bins are purposely color coded and labeled to match with the collection dumpsters which receive the items from the individual bins."

Additionally, the aluminum cans and plastic bottles are to remain free of foreign debris (i.e. no cigarette butts, sunflower seeds, and other forms of unwanted trash) prior to being placed in the bins, he said.

"It takes work on the receiving end to empty the items out," said Mr. Williams. "By mixing trash with recyclable material in the collection bins and dumpsters dramatically lowers the marketable value of the materials."

Mr. Williams said that the reception from the base population for the recycling program has been very positive.

"There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm within the base, as people have come from home duty stations which already have successful recycling programs," he said. "People really want to pitch in and do their part for the environment."