The Qualified Recycling Program provides an economically feasable option for green living

Published Jan. 28, 2011
By Nicole Turner
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Last year the Qualified Recycling Program at Tinker recycled more than 2,700 tons of material, preserving natural resources and landfill space, and saving the base more than $115,400 in tipping and disposal fees.

The QRP is a section of the Resource Management Flight in the 72nd Force Support Squadron. Berkley Silvey, a clerk for the QRP, said QRP's mission is to divert as much material as economically feasible from landfill disposal, so that it can be processed and manufactured into new reusable products. This saves energy, decreases pollution and ultimately lessens the community's dependence on new raw material.

"The primary function of the QRP is to provide an efficient, reliable recycling service to all of Tinker's civilian workforce, military members and their families," Ms. Silvey said.

The materials the QRP recycles consist of metal, paper, cardboard, toner cartridges, aluminum cans, tin cans, newspaper and even a small amount of glass.

"I am also proud to say that after a year of trying, I finally found a viable program for recycling plastic bottles," Ms. Silvey said. "We are constantly looking for new materials to recycle and have a few in the works right now."

The QRP has many bins and services throughout the base so recycling can be an option for everyone.

The program has an option for a direct pick-up service among Tinker offices for white paper and aluminum cans. There is a weekly curbside pick-up for glass, newspaper and aluminum cans in the housing area every Thursday. A 24-hour drop-off site is outside of building 1156 that has collection bins for cardboard, tin cans, aluminum cans and plastic. Newspaper and various other forms of paper can be recycled by placing it in the green and yellow paper retriever dumpsters in the parking lot of building 478, or outside of building 1156. Finally, plastic can be recycled outside the north entrance of the Base Exchange or the east entrance of the Bowling Center.

For people who recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans, their efforts of "going green" do not go unnoticed. A reward program for recycling is offered through the kiosk located outside of the BX, called the Dream Machine. It is a program sponsored through Pepsi and for every bottle or can recycled, people are given points that can be redeemed for discounts to restaurants and stores throughout the country.

"I personally live on base and I believe the biggest incentive is the satisfaction that comes from being a responsible member of my community, and the knowledge that the plastic bottle from the soda that took me 10 minutes to drink won't live in a landfill for the next 10 million years," Ms. Silvey said.

Housed in building 1156, the QRP is a warehouse that spans across an entire gravel work yard. Though each type of recyclable material is processed differently, each one is initially collected, stored, broken down or compacted and then sold off base to recycling companies. This is done through large machines like a cardboard baler, wire stripper, can denser, forklifts and semi-trucks.

Kathy Hartwell, the 72nd FSS Deputy, said that civil engineering is currently the office in charge of the QRP, and that they maintain a Memorandum of Agreement annually with the QRP.

"We are very proud that we have been able to offer the QRP for over 25 years," Ms. Hartwell said. "In the face of dwindling APF funds we have been able to run the program without requiring additional APF funding from CE. If this program was to be contracted out, it could cost Tinker as much as $250,000 annually. Recycling is just a no-brainer - it is the right thing to do for the planet and we look forward to continuing our involvement in this program."

Ms. Silvey said Tinker's region and location makes for a very challenging recycling market. The large amount of open land, low tipping fees and lack of state recycling requirements, makes it difficult to encourage people to recycle. Oftentimes, in Oklahoma, it is less expensive to throw things away than to recycle. In more populated states, recycling is a more economically viable option and is required in most communities.

"We are doing our absolute best with the resources we have been given," Ms. Silvey said. "Of the seven people who work here (at the QRP), only five are actually out in the field handling and processing material."

However, Ms. Silvey said, people can help make recycling on base more efficient by keeping their white paper barrels clear of trash and un-bagged shredded paper, placing their recyclable material in the appropriate receptacles and simply being patient with the QRP.

"We are committed to recycling as much material as we possibly can," Ms. Silvey said. "Each of these easy steps can really go a long way by saving us time that we can then reinvest into recycling even more material."

The QRP office is open from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information about recycling at Tinker call 739-3610, or visit the Force Support website at www.tinkerservices.com. The QRP also has a Facebook page, which is Qualified Recycling Program at Tinker AFB.