Arnold Air Force Base Wins Recycling Award

The Tennessee Recycling Coalition (TRC) has recognized the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee for its recycling efforts.

The center received the Government Recycler of the Year award Jan. 18 from the TRC during its annual conference held in Franklin, Tenn. The award is in recognition of significant waste diversion achieved from October 2006 through September 2007.

“This award recognizes AEDC for our commitment as stewards of the environment and the people on base who make the program a success,” says Lt. Col. Paul Schantz, 704^th Civil Engineering Squadron commander. “People at all levels at Arnold Air Force Base are dedicated to recycling and pollution prevention, and this award emphasizes the results of Team AEDC’s commitment.”

According to Frank Duncan, Air Force Environmental Quality Program manager, 47.1 percent of all non-hazardous material was diverted to recycling activities. This included 2,149 tons of C&D material, 2,039 tons of scrap metal, 244 tons of paper and cardboard and 147 tons of other material.

In addition, for municipal solid waste, which consists of scrap metal, paper and cardboard and other materials, 76.1 percent was recycled.

“This was achieved through source segregation where paper, cardboard and scrap metal were collected in bins distributed across the facility,” says John Daniels, Air Force Services Recycling program manager. “The materials from full bins were transported to central locations to be sold to recyclers.”

In addition, as part of the decommissioning of a major facility, more than 114 tons of Trichloroethylene was collected and provided to a vendor that would turn and resell it as a usable product, according to a press release from the base.

Furthermore, 32.2 percent of all construction and demolition materials were diverted. Scrap metal and wood were segregated prior to landfill disposal. Concrete and other masonry materials were diverted to be used as fill material in support of construction projects across the base.

More information is available at www.arnold.af.mil.