Thursday, July 12, 2007

Fort Belvoir recycling saves the environment, money

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Most people have heard the three R’ s of environmental conservation, but, what is actually being done to help the environment?

From May 28 to June 18 the residential communities and workers on the installation recycled 4.56 tons of commingled trash and 6.68 tons of paper. The 215 offices on the installation recycled 395 tons of cardboard, 73 tons of white paper and 76.5 tons of scrap metal from January to March of this year.

Residents receive recycling bins from AAA Recycling and Trash Moving Services to recycle container glass, metal food and beverage containers, plastic bottles and jugs, yard waste, scrap metal, cardboard and mixed paper.

Residents can put all recyclable materials into the bins and AAA empties them every Monday, said Darren Johnson, AAA route supervisor.

“It’s better for the environment and it lightens up the trash,” said Johnson. “There’s a lot that goes into it, but there’s a lot of benefits for the environment.”

The company takes the materials to its warehouses in Merrifield and Burke, Va., and separates and bundles it. Then, they sell the materials to plants for recycling.

The Fort Belvoir Recycling Center picks up materials from buildings on post five days a week, said Mary Jo Brooks, recycling coordinator.

The Fort Belvoir Qualified Recycling Program accepts glass bottles, #1 and #2 plastic bottles, aluminum cans, steel or tin food cans, cardboard, newspaper, white office paper and mixed paper. Offices have containers for each of these items.

All of the materials that are collected on post are consolidated at the Recycling Center and separated into containers and then sold in the local recycling markets. The center’s staff also bales cardboard and newspaper and crushes aluminum cans.

“From the garrison standpoint, it is important to recycle to help save money. The cost avoidance from not paying to landfill waste and revenue from the sale of recyclables covers the cost of the recycling program,” Brooks said. “From and environmental point of view, it is a sustainable practice. Recycling saves energy, allows landfills to have a longer life so that new waste facilities do not have to be constructed as often and helps conserve resources.”

If you have any questions about recycling or would like to request a recycling bin in your office call the recycling center at 703-805-3008.