The Environmental Quality Directorate at the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence began in 1996 to offers staff-assistance service to installations for the purpose of examining the installation’s potentially biggest solid waste generators—military family housing and unaccompanied dormitories residents. Meeting the Air Forces’ solid waste reduction goals is only part of the reason why installations are interested in a detail review of their Qualified Recycling Program. Soaring solid waste disposal costs are taking a bigger slice of installations’ Operations and Maintenance budget each year.

Within the past year, ten military family housing Qualified Recycling Programs have been reviewed. Many lessons learned, success stories and challenges have been documented, ranging from multiple family units recycling to public awareness to household hazardous material exchange programs. Here are just a few examples from this presentation:

Misawa AB Japan has successfully tackled a difficult challenge in recycling—multiple family units. Residents of Misawa’s 11 tower apartments collect recyclables in a two-bin system for transfer to the building’s garbage room on the ground floor. Residents sort recyclables into respective 96 gallon blue and yellow trash totes locate in the garbage rooms. Appropriate signage above the recycle totes guide the apartment recycler to the correct container and at the same time educate recyclers about commodities.

Bolling AFB Washington DC recognizes military family housing areas or "districts" quarterly and yearly. Operation personnel, with the assistance of the hauler, do a physical count of units that set-out recyclables for collection each week. The "district" with the most set-outs during the quarter has the privilege of having a sign posted on their entrance street designing that "district" as Recyclers of the Quarter! The "district" winner of the year is provided an item, such as a picnic table or bench constructed of recycled material, that can be enjoyed by all residents. Also in recognition, a plaque hangs in the Military Family Housing Office signifying to all the past and present recycling winners.

Andersen AB Guam military family housing occupants participate in a drop-off recycling program. Recyclers collect aluminum, newspaper and cardboard in their stackable three-bin units and then transport items to drop-off containers conveniently located at the base service station and Self-Help Store. Collection and processing of drop-off recyclables are done by an on-island solid waste handler at no-cost/no-reimbursement to Andersen AFB.

At Misawa AB Japan each unaccompanied dormitory room is provided a small recycling bin for collection and transport of recyclables. Dormitory residents take their bin of recyclables to nearby "garbage huts" where they segregate their recyclables into the appropriate 96 gallon recycle totes.

Yokota AB Japan has a well-organized Household Hazardous Material Exchange Facility established at the installation’s Hazardous Material Pharmacy. Four separate contained lockers are established to accept (1) household cleaners, pesticides and herbicides; (2) oils, lubricants, and gas additives; (3) paints, thinners and stains; (4) latex paints and antifreeze. Waste oil is also accepted at this same facility, but in a separate collection container located near the lockers.

More information about Military Family Qualified Recycling Program (QRP) Studies conducted by AFCEE Environmental Quality Directorate can be found at www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/ep/epprod.htm.