Cultivating a recycling mindset

  • Published
  • By David R. Hopper
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  On June 5, 2015, the community surrounding Offutt AFB came together and put on the Offutt Advisory Council Annual Appreciation Day Picnic for the entire population of the base to include their families.

Along with the rock climbing wall, free food and drinks and bouncy houses, a new addition was added to the picnic landscape this year - recycling containers.

"The idea of recycling containers for bottles and cans was brought up during the final planning meetings for the 2014 picnic," said Doris Urwin, picnic planning committee member. "We have been recycling the boxes for years but, recycling cans and bottles came up too late last year to really get it all planned out."

"That's why we started planning that early this year," she added.

The picnic planning committee made contacting the 55th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental compliance section, one of their first items of interest for the 2015 picnic.

"Offutt has a robust environmental management system program that ensures the base is in compliance with International Organization for Standards 14001," said John Parr, 55th CES Environmental Compliance chief. "We work with unit environmental coordinators from across the base to constantly search for new ways of recycling and reducing the amount of waste that the base sends to landfills."

Currently Offutt has many options available to recycle. There are large recycling bins at the Wherry Express and at the main Express for recycling paper, aluminum and steel cans and plastics (number's 1 thru 7) from your shop, office or home.  In addition BMAKK, the recycling contractor, is issuing outdoor containers for shops and offices to recycle paper, aluminum or steel cans, plastics, and also glass bottles from their work places.  UECs can call Dave Derra from BMAKK at (402) 670-0152 to get a container delivered to their building.

"We owe a big thanks to Dave and BMAKK for donating the recycling equipment for the annual picnic," Parr said. "When organizations work together for the benefit of the environment, everyone wins."

During the picnic, announcements were made encouraging members of Team Offutt to utilize the recycling containers that were on site. There were even members of the 55th CES Environmental Compliance section walking around assisting.

In all there was 40 pounds of aluminum cans; 90 pounds of plastics and 300 pounds of cardboard collected at the OAC picnic this year. 

"Although the totals recycled don't seem impressive, it was by far the best recycling results they have obtained from the base picnic." Parr said.

In the last three years, Offutt has averaged about 918 tons per year recycled which is about 31% of the trash produced on base.  The Air Combat Command goal for this year is 55 percent and the Offutt Environmental Management Cross Functional Team, is currently considering new initiatives to increase recycling totals.

"As part of the community surrounding the base, it makes me glad to see the base making an effort to be green," Urwin said. "It makes me love the men and women who work at Team Offutt that much more."

If you have a suggestion for the CFT on where the base can recycle more, call 294-4087.