Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

  • Published
  • By Mike Blythe
  • 14th Civil Engineer Squadron
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  On Oct. 31, 1991, President George Bush signed Executive Order 12780.  Like all Executive Orders, this order has the full force of law. In signing this order, Bush declared that all Federal Agencies will promote cost-effective waste reduction and recycling of reusable materials from wastes generated by Federal Government activities.

For almost a quarter of a century, the Air Force has been required to participate in cost-effective recycling efforts that support pollution prevention. So why are we still finding aluminum cans and plastic water bottles in the trash?

There are many reasons we should recycle so if "Because the President said so!" isn't a good enough reason to recycle, consider what it means to our environment as a whole. Recycling has numerous environmental benefits. Recycling saves energy, conserves natural resources, limits pollution, and supports several sectors of the economy.

Most man-made products incorporate different materials in order to create the finished product. This involves harvesting raw materials such as trees, rocks and oil so that they can be processed into a useable material by manufacturers. As a result, reserves of these natural resources are diminishing. Deforestation and mining are prime examples of how harvesting natural resources is harming the environment. This impact can be reduced if we recycle used products such as paper, aluminum, plastic and wood.

Recycling reduces the amount of energy required to create new products. By recycling, we are cutting out the energy requirements for the mining and timber harvest of new raw materials. Recycling just half of your annual recyclable household waste saves 2400 pounds of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. Many scientists contend that human-released CO2 is a leading cause of global warming and climate change. This is a very important as energy conservation is a direct link to improving air quality.

The more we recycle, the more we can help to reduce the burden on local and national landfill sites. As population levels increase, we will need to find additional landfill sites, which will harm the surrounding environment and wildlife.

Here at Columbus Air Force Base, recycling is also a huge economic concern. We have an excellent recycling program here on base. However, there is still room for improvement. Our current cost for refuse disposal is around $400 per ton. This cost includes storing, hauling, equipment rental, landfill fees and contract fees. The cost to recycle is around $200 per ton and will become cheaper the more we recycle. 

The cost of recycling is directly proportional to the manpower required to manage the process. This is where you can help the process a lot. It really helps to sort and bag like materials together. A little presorting on your part is greatly appreciated. Those grocery and shopping bags from local stores are perfect for small collections of metal cans, office paper, water and pop bottles, and more.  Bring recyclables in from home to put in the recycle bins here on base. Please remember materials for recycling must be dry and empty. Drop off your recyclables at the big green bin stored in the Southeast corner of the commissary parking lot.