Air Force zeros in on recycling this Earth Day

  • Published
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  As the nation celebrates the 45th annual Earth Day this April 22, the Air Force and Incirlik AB is re-emphasizing its standing commitment to environmental stewardship and encouraging its military and civilian workforce to promote recycling both at home and on the job, and asking them to leverage available opportunities to "Conserve Today - Secure Tomorrow."

"Earth Day provides an opportunity for every Airman to show their commitment to the environment and focus their time and efforts into conserving our limited natural resources through recycling, reusing and reducing usage," said Lt. Col. Matthew Welling, 39th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. "I encourage every Airman to participate and do their part to help not only on Earth Day but throughout the year."

Installations across the enterprise are taking action to meet the Department of Defense's strategic sustainability performance plan goal of diverting 55 percent of non-hazardous solid waste, and 100 percent of electronics waste, this fiscal year and beyond.

"This is the highest diversion goal in the history of Air Force diversion efforts," said Nancy Carper, subject matter expert on integrated solid waste management at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center.

Meeting these goals requires diligence and participation from everyone, from the recycling center manager looking for new ways to expand services, to office workers taking advantage of all available opportunities to recycle and not throwing out items like paper, plastic, aluminum cans and cardboard, Carper said.

Keeping abreast of recycling trends and opportunities helped the recycling program at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, "increase recycling volume from 450,000 pounds annually 14 years ago to almost five million pounds annually today," said Jesse Salinas, qualified recycling program manager there.

"The Incirlik Air Base 39th Civil Engineer Squadron runs a very effective Hazardous Waste Management program, which has over 20 Hazardous Waste accumulation points," said Asena Atabek, 39th CES Environmental Program Manager. "These sites are visited by the environmental office on regular basis to ensure that hazardous waste program is in compliance with the final governing standards for Turkey and [Air Force Instruction] requirements."

In an age of growing technology, the need for effective electronics recycling has garnered national attention.

While all Air Force-owned electronic equipment is required to be recycled through Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services, the Air Force is encouraging its workforce to take proactive steps to keep home electronics out of the waste stream and is encouraging individuals to take advantage of the U.S. Postal Service's Blue Earth Federal Recycling Program.  Established in 2013, the program makes it easier for individuals to recycle personally owned ink cartridges and unwanted electronic devices free of charge using the postal network.

At Incirlik, Air Force and other federal employees can send eligible electronics items through the mail to a certified recycler at no cost. Upon receipt, data is wiped from the devices to ensure privacy and information protection.

Atabek explained, "The Environmental Office conducts quarterly Hazardous Material Management Program meetings to discuss the pollution prevention measures including the hazardous material and hazardous waste minimization with the representatives from other organizations. Incirlik is the second base in U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa to implement the Enterprise, Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health- Management Information System for tracking hazardous waste."

This year, the Air Force is once again asking Airmen and their families to logon to the "Blue Acts of Green" Facebook page at www.facebook.com/blueactsofgreen to share recycling and other environmentally-friendly practices they commit to perform everyday as well as learn what other families are doing across the country to protect one of Earth's most precious natural resources.

For more information on the Air Force's Earth Day efforts, visit http://www.afcec.af.mil/news/earthday