LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The Lackland recycling program continues to clean up on awards after recently being accorded two more honors for its efforts.
The recycling program was honored with the 2007 Alliance Recognition Award for its overall effort in recycling and the 2007 Excellence Award from Vista Fibers for its cardboard recycling program.
In the past seven years, the program has won 10 awards from the state, and for the past eight years, Cooperative Teamwork and Recycling Assistance has judged it the best. In addition, the state has given it awards for four straight years for sustainability.
Recycling at Lackland has come a long way from the early 2000s when it was on the verge of being shuttered. The growth of the program is reflected in the numbers: almost 7 million pounds of recyclable materials during the past year, a 15-fold increase from 2001.
A further breakdown of the numbers is more staggering: an average month means 600,000 pounds of recycled materials when as recently as 2001, 450,000 pounds constituted an entire year.
Paired with the increase in recyclable items has been a huge boost in revenue, from $15,000 a year to as much as $300,000 annually depending on market conditions.
"Last year was a great year because the markets were real high," said Jesse Salinas, qualified recycling program manager and pollution preservation chief for the Lackland Recycling Center. "We won't see as much money coming in as in years past because of the economy, and recycling prices have really dropped but the tonnage is still way up there."
The monies generated by the recycling program are naturally recycled. Through the past several years, the program has been able to add equipment to expedite its process and create revenue sources to put back into the center. More than $500,000 worth of equipment has been added, all paid for by funds generated in the recycling program.
Two plastics balers were purchased and installed last year at a cost of $12,000 each. The center was collecting 30,000 pounds of plastic every quarter but because it wasn't processed, received zero dollars.
The new closed loop balers allow the base's plastics to be processed while capturing any liquids to be recycled, and will generate $700-$800 per 12,000 pounds resulting in a payback on the machines in approximately a year.
"We're trying to automate as much as we can to get the most bang for our buck," said Mr. Salinas.
A recently purchased ground conveyor system will assist in processing cardboard, as the limited staff now has 50 16-foot trailers for cardboard set strategically around base, after starting the program with only four.
The newest technology to arrive at the recycling center will be a brass-deforming machine. The base uses 4 million rounds a year; after processing the brass shell casings, the center will be able to sell directly to an open market, unlike before, having to wait up to six months for its money, if any.
"We depend on being self-sufficient so that is one of the things that will take us there," Mr. Salinas said.
The Lackland program is one of the few recycling programs run by civil service. It saves Wilford Hall more than $100,000 year in contractor's costs, in part because the recycling center can process privacy act material.
Lackland recycling provides locked bins, locked trucks and a locked area at its center to handle privacy act materials, which goes out in 2,000-pound bales after shredding. Starting with 50 locked bins for the privacy act, there are now more than 300 on base.
The recycling center also handles glass and cooking oil.
"We don't make money at it but we keep it out of the landfill," said Mr. Salinas. Future plans include a composting program that is presently being researched.
Once a year, a phonebook drive is held, and there is a 24-hour drop-off at the center for persons interested in bringing items from home.
The recycling outreach education program has also taken off, averaging three to six presentations a month with character Sheriff R.E. Cycle. Outreach has also branched out into energy conservation and added a new character in Energy Ray.
"Outreach has paid huge dividends," said Mr. Salinas. "The little ones are starting to recycle; if the older ones paid attention to the little ones, we'd have it made."
And if there is an event on base, like Lackland Air Fest, recycling employees will be present. The outreach program, community presentations and base events are on top of the daily workload.
With the 50 trailers around base, 10 a day need to be processed to keep current, and when holidays interrupt the work week, that only increases the processing demand and keeps the center in a constant stage of catch up.
Mr. Salinas said the hospitals, mini-malls and BMT trailers have to be emptied twice a week, and he emphasized if necessary, base containers can be brought to the recycling center where employees will off load them for processing.
"You're never there more than 30 minutes," he said.
Tours of the facility are available to base personnel by calling 671-5302, 671-4800 or 379-2922, something Mr. Salinas encourages.
"We welcome them," he said. "When you leave, you leave with a whole new attitude about recycling and what goes on at the base.
"Recycling is the right thing to do, keeping it out of the landfill," he added. "Our job is to preserve (the environment), and that should be everyone's goal."