The Recycling Center on Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, recently added in deposit slots for common recyclable items.
Though the slots are now available, they prefer any recyclable items be brought in during normal business hours from 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and to use the deposit slots as a 24-hour after-hours drop-off slot.
“Recycling is saving the environment,” said Lance Clardy, Recycling Center Facility Manager. “It not only saves our non-renewable resources, but also our land by putting less into landfills and less trees being cut down.”
The Recycling Center collects from the blue recycling boxes all across base weekly and takes drop-off items to sort them accordingly. From there, they are put into baler machines and are loaded onto pallets for pickup and sale. On an average month, they pick up 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of recyclable materials.
“Doing this really makes a difference,” Clardy said. “A job where you make a difference in the world. Not just on a small scale, but for the entire planet.”
The Air Force saves money through this venture by selling the recycled items based on volume of the bales. This turns enough profit to keep the Recycling Center open and the pickup and drop-off services available.
Recycling is not just limited to those who are assigned to Columbus AFB.
“Anyone who can get onto base can use the Recycling Center,” Clardy said. “We will take recycling from anyone willing to drop it off. There is a misconception among the populace we will only recycle Air Force materials. That is absolutely not true.”
The facility takes a wide variety of recyclable items including, but not limited to metals, plastics, all papers, glass, aluminum, cardboard, shrink wrap, used electronics, ink printer cartridges, used oil, and batteries.
For more information about the Recycling Center call 434-7353.