On Nov. 15, the Air Force joined the rest of the nation in observing America Recycles Day, a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to encouraging people to recycle more at home, at work and on the go.
Successful recycling and solid waste diversion efforts across the Air Force through the past year have underscored the Air Force’s commitment to environmental stewardship, not just on this date, but all 365 days of the year, officials said.
Any action that helps divert waste from landfills supports the Department of Defense strategic sustainability performance plan goal of diverting 50 percent of non-hazardous solid waste and 60 percent of construction and demolition waste by 2015 and beyond, officials added. Finding ways to reuse and recycle during construction and demolition projects not only protects the environment from several tons of waste, but also can lead to big savings.
Savings gained by reusing materials add up, said Fred Brooks, a 21st Civil Engineer Squadron civil engineer at Peterson AFB.
“Big picture, it’s an exponential savings,” Brooks said.
Similarly, a military family housing demolition effort at Shaw AFB, S.C., led to the recycling and repurposing of several tons of material. Completed in September, more than 80 percent of the 44,212 tons of material removed was recycled, including 33,901 tons of concrete, 95 tons of metal and 2,250 tons of asphalt. In addition to large-scale recycling, the project led to the repurposing of playground equipment, gazebos, a bus stop and street lamps.
Recycling and repurposing efforts such as these are becoming the norm across the force, said Scott Nickerson, a capital investment execution branch chief at the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment.
“In the past, waste material produced from the demolition of structures was land-filled, in part because construction material was destroyed during the process and unable to be repurposed,” Nickerson said. “Deconstruction involves a lot of planning and coordination up front to properly survey the structure, noting any hazardous or toxic material, and identifying material that can be recycled or reused.”
Restoration officials at Kirtland AFB, N.M., found opportunities to recycle as part of their munitions cleanup program. Several tons of used munitions were collected and recycled, returning hundreds of acres to mission use.
“Removing munitions and munitions debris is its own reward — we’re cleaning up these areas for future generations and knowing that we’re working to make an area safer,” said Scott Clark, the Kirtland Military Munitions Response Program manager. “But it’s even sweeter when we’re able to turn those munitions into recyclable metal. I can say with confidence that the Air Force is implementing the military munitions response program in a smart and thoughtful manner, and it’s something we should all be proud of.”
These and other installations have undertaken innovative steps to help the Air Force win the war against waste, a mission in which each individual’s efforts, large or small, makes a difference, said Nancy Carper, an integrated solid waste specialist at AFCEE.
Source: Military.com
By Jennifer Schneider