Action Line: Recycling issues Published July 6, 2009 By 72nd Air Base Wing TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Q: Last month, the Tinker Recycling Center ceased the recycling of plastic and glass items. The Take-Off stated that, "Plastic and glass have no value in the current recycling market and it is not economically possible for the recycling center to use reduced resources to collect, segregate and process these items." It's a shame that the recycling center is sending a message that recycling must be "profitable" in order to be done. What kind of message does this send to base employees, the surrounding cities and county programs, or community groups? The recycling center's mission statement is "to reduce flow of waste to the landfill, to conserve natural resources and to maximize the new dollar return to Tinker Air Force Base." I am sure the recycling center knows all the facts concerning landfill waste and conservation in relation to glass and plastic recycling. Our unit has and will continue its grassroots recycling of material. It's just simply a shame that the recycling center chose this option. I hope that the center is looking into options and avenues to continue recycling any and all material on base as good stewards to the environment. What a way to celebrate Earth Day than to cease a recycling program on base two days before. A: We agree with you that the mission of the recycling center is to reduce the flow of waste to the landfill and to conserve resources. However, the Air Force requires base recycling programs to be economically sound. In the past, proceeds from profitable items, such as white paper and aluminum, have offset the losses from other recyclables. It actually costs more to recycle certain items (such as plastic and glass) than it does to throw them away. Because of the recent downturn in the recycling market, recycling revenues are much less than in previous years and the recycling program is operating at a loss. Shortfalls in recycling programs are funded by tax dollars and the limited funding that was allocated for Tinker's recycling program in fiscal 2009 is almost depleted. As responsible stewards of government resources, the recycling changes were staffed through the 72nd Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Directorate chain of command, and the base civil engineer made the decision to stop recycling certain items in order to keep the recycling program operational.