JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
According to Askhrgreen.org, it takes one million years for glass bottles to decompose in a landfill. Ink and toner cartridges need 700 years to break down and plastic bottles require a century to disintegrate.
With the amount of time it takes for waste to decompose, why not take a few seconds to recycle?
That's why the nonprofit organization, Keep America Beautiful, established America Recycles Day in 1997. This event, celebrated annually on Nov.15, encourages Americans to recycle and buy recycled products.
"Recycling is an important program that helps keep landfills from filling and reduces our reliance on raw materials in creating new items," said Mike Mallozzi, 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron water quality and pollution prevention manager.
According to Emma Watterson, 733rd Civil Engineer Division Environmental Element contractor, the Fort Eustis Solid Waste Recycling Center has celebrated America Recycles Day since 1999, and the Langley Air Force Base scrap metal yard has celebrated since 2005, and both will be hosting several recycling events this year throughout Joint Base Langley Eustis.
The Fort Eustis Environmental Element will host the third annual "Cash 4 Cans" contest Nov. 1-29, where pick-ups will be scheduled Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cans will be redeemed for cash, which will be awarded to the winning unit that collects the most cans Dec. 5.
At Langley, Mallozzi will dress up as "CHUCK-IT," the U.S. Air Force recycling mascot, and teach children at the Child Development Center about the importance of recycling and reducing waste.
To help reduce the amount of waste materials making their way to landfills, JBLE provides recycling centers on both installations as part of their Qualified Recycling Programs.
The Langley scrap metal yard collects scrap metal, reusable pallets and toner cartridges. The Eustis center accepts all recyclables collected throughout post. Both installations provide 90-gallon recycling containers to collect single-stream recycling, a system in which all paper fibers, plastics, metals and other containers are mixed in a collection truck for weekly pickup.
The recycling centers of JBLE not only reach out to spread the word for the efforts of America Recycles Day, the centers can be accessed year-round.
According to Watterson, this year the efforts of both recycling facilities helped JBLE divert approximately 3,516 tons of recyclables from local landfills, compared to 1,650 tons in 2012, to include cardboard, scrap metal, toner cartridges and single-stream recyclables.
America Recycles Day is more than one day of recycling - it is a way of life that should be practiced every day, said Mallozzi.
"Celebrating America Recycling Day is important for people of all ages, and teaches the importance of recycling and reusing materials to decrease the amount of items made from raw materials," he said. "The holiday also reminds us about the cost-savings associated with recycling, as well as the necessity of keeping the planet clean for the many generations to come."
Watterson said recycling is not only important, but can also be enjoyable.
"The CED Environmental Element staff has tried to make recycling on [Eustis] as fun and convenient as possible with 'Cash 4 Cans,'" said Watterson. "We continue to find ways to improve the Qualified Recycling Program and make every day 'America Recycles Day.'"
The Langley scrap yard is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m. The Fort Eustis center is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Emma Watterson at 878-7376 at Fort Eustis, or Mike Mallozzi at 764-1141 at Langley.