Kadena cleans up recycling policy

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marcus Morris
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  With sequestration cutting budgets, and dwindling landfill space on Okinawa becoming more costly to utilize, Kadena Air Base is implementing a new recycling policy beginning Oct.

The policy will make it mandatory for all refuse and recyclable materials on base and all military housing in Okinawa to be separated and placed in clear plastic bags.

"The biggest change from the old policy to the new policy is refuse must be in clear plastic bags," said Vincent Adams, 718th Civil Engineer Squadron solid waste manager, "and contractors will not collect the bags if recyclables are in the refuse."

On Okinawa it cost an average of $300 per ton of trash per year, whereas, in the United States it only cost $30 per ton. Base residents can reduce this amount by recycling as much as possible and help minimize the disposal on landfills.

"This program is good for the base because it saves the military money, it brings money back into the base and it saves on natural resources," Adams said.

During fiscal 2012, refuse disposal costs totaled $5.7 million, while our recycling program generated $983,104 with a 22-percent recycling diversion rate.

"Our goal this year is to reach a 50-percent recycling diversion rate," Adams said. "This policy will gain Kadena AB an additional $800,000 from recyclable material."

The money saved by recycling goes towards paying for refuse and recycling costs, as well as environmental projects for the base and installation pollution prevention.

Recyclables are separated into the following categories: scrap metal, cardboard, plastics, paper and glass. Residents should bag these items, with the exception of scrap metal, and have them out by the curbside for pick up on their designated recycle day.

It is important to separate the recyclables into different bags, as contractors sort each bag by hand and the more they have to separate the recyclables, the more money it costs the base.

Cardboard and newspapers should be flattened and plastics and cans should be put in separate bags. Anything that is not considered recyclable should be put in the trash. Also, residents are asked to remove plastic caps off water and soda bottles and rinse out cans for health and safety purposes.

For more information, call the Kadena Recycling Center at 634-2833 or the Environmental Office at 634-5425 or 2600. You can also check-out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KadenaRecyclingProgram.