Wright-Patterson Recycle Center: Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle

  • Published
  • By W. Eugene Barnett
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The recommended eight glasses of water a day, at U.S. tap rates equals about 49 cents per year. That same amount of bottled water is about $1,400 a year according to an article from Ban the Bottle.net

Try ditching bottled water and you could help keep the Earth and your wallet greener.

“With changes in the recycling industry, plastics aren’t nearly as profitable to recycle as they used to be, said Dave Dalton, solid waste/recycling program manager at Wright Patterson. “In the case of Wright-Patterson, there is actually an expense for recycling plastics.”

“As consumers, we should always consider the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle) when deciding whether or not to purchase a product,” Dalton said.

While recycling is certainly a better alternative than throwing something in the trash, considering how we can reduce solid waste to start with might be a better option for the environment. In the case of plastic water bottles, buying a reusable container and filtering your own water would help reduce the volume of single use plastic containers being thrown in the trash or recycling bin.

“At Wright-Patterson, reducing the amount of waste plastic would potentially cut costs for both the recycling program and the solid waste contract,” Dalton said.  

Other ways to cut costs would be to place recyclables in the proper container.  Recyclables are routinely thrown in the trash or placed in the wrong recycling bins.  When items are placed in recycling containers all trash should be removed first (i.e. Styrofoam should be removed from boxes before being recycled). Proper source separation helps streamline processes reducing the cost of recycling. 

One item that seems to be confusing is which container flat cardboard should be placed in.  It is a common misconception that flat cardboard should be placed in cardboard containers when actually it should be place in the mixed paper containers.  Flat cardboard is heavy mixed paper and sold as that commodity.  The recycling center sells corrugated cardboard and flat cardboard contaminates that product and has to be removed.  Some examples of flat cardboard would be soda and cereal boxes as well as packaging for frozen dinners and snacks for the snack bar. 

As a service to the base, scrap toner cartridges can be recycled through the base recycling center.  There is no longer a need to mail these cartridges back to the manufacturer.  The recycling center has collection containers located across the base for toner cartridges or you can drop them off at the center.  For help finding the location nearest you please contact the base recycling center at 257-4889.

For more information, contact Dave Dalton at 937-257-5060 or dave.dalton.2@us.af.mil or Thom Doucette at 937-257-4889 or thomas.doucette@us.af.mil.