FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
The average American will throw away more than three pounds of trash in a day, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Facilities.
Personnel at the 733rd Civil Engineer Division Solid Waste and Recycle Center are working toward preventing Fort Eustis waste from becoming "a waste" by providing daily trash pick-up and recycling every week.
The SWRC processes recyclables and offers additional services for waste disposal. "Every day we pick up regular waste which includes food, contaminated items, Styrofoam and other unrecyclable items," said Thomas Gunther, 733rd CED contracting officer representative. "The trucks also collect recycling from the bins [on the installation] every Tuesday."
While trash is sent elsewhere, recyclables like paper and plastics are brought back to the SWRC to be sorted into different bins and then sold to recycling companies. The money earned goes back to Fort Eustis.
The recycling bins are not only for base personnel, but are also available to all Department of Defense cardholders, said Gunther. If community members are interested in recycling personal items, the center will accept recyclables such as circuit boards, tires and mattresses. They also have a paper shredder and disintegrator for disposal of properly handled sensitive and classified papers.
In addition to document disposal, the center will supply extra-large dumpsters for massive cleaning projects. They also have moving boxes and packing paper at no cost.
The center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and recycling walk-ins are welcome.
"We are able to take just about any item," said Gunther. "The more items brought in, the more we can give back to the base."
For more information or to make an appointment contact the SWRC at 878-4232.