Who’s Recycling? Environmental Management revitalizes base program Published Oct. 18, 2007 By Airman 1st Jessica Lockoski 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- For many Team McConnell members whose basements are taken over by containers of recyclables and garages that store more periodicals and newspaper than a library, the bases recycling program has a new revamped contract to take out the renewable trash. The old contract ended at the beginning of September leaving base work spaces without an escape plan for unwanted resources. Through the efforts of the civil Engineer and Contracting Squadron the newly negotiated contract will take effect during the week of Oct. 22. The Southwind housing area will be the first area to see the new recycling program back at McConnell. Though recycling will no longer be mandatory in base housing, it is highly recommended. Residents have the option to recycle and can sign up for the service. Items that are recyclable in the housing area include tin, aluminum, paper, magazines, cardboard and plastic. Glass will no longer be accepted any where on base as a recyclable material. Residents are required to sort the items according to the material and bag them separately. "Recycling is as easy as setting up a pattern and routine and making it work by setting up a place in the home where everyone can remember to discard the items, such as next to the garbage," said Kristi Draney, 22nd Civil Engineer Recycling Program Manager "Post cards are soon to appear for base housing residents with recycling instructions," she said. "Additional information will also be available at the housing office." Not only is there a collection in base housing, but work areas and shops throughout the base will also see relief toward the end of October. There will be recycling containers in these areas for paper only at centralized locations in each building. "There will not be as many drop off points in work centers under the new contract, however people are encouraged to keep smaller containers in there personal workspace to hold paper," said Ms. Draney. "Then they can take their paper to the centralized point as the container fills." "Reduction in the number of recycling collection points in work centers will help control labor expenditures," she said. McConnell members are reminded that by law, they are required to recycle cardboard and paper that is generated in their work areas and offices. Building 1090 and its parking area once served as the main recycling drop off point on base for plastics, aluminum and tin, cardboard and paper. These trailers are gone and will be replaced with roll-off bins in November. Base recyclers will be able to discard the material in the correct compartmentalized bins. "Roll-off bins will be situated in many of the same places the trailers were, including between the back parking areas behind dorm 350, so Airmen living in the dorms who wish to recycle can do so," said Mrs. Draney. "We hope to have these containers in place mid-November." A major impact recycling has at McConnell is its benefits. "When McConnell members recycle, it saves money on refuse and tipping fees for trash which are about $50 per ton," she said. "What ever items people are not throwing into the trash by recycling, saves on the cost. A look back into the McConnell recycling program from June 2006 to June 2007 shows that the base recycled: · 17.6 tons of plastic · 15.5 tons of tin/aluminum cans · 334 tons of paper · 147 tons of cardboard · 22 tons of glass "Because the service is going to remain much the same, without the month and a half downtime between contracts when we have not been able to collect, the transition into the new contact would have been effortless," she said. A complete recycling schedule is forthcoming and may be found in a future edition of the Tanker Times. For more information about the recycling program, call environmental management at 759-4445.