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Osan to begin new recycling program

  • Published
  • By Mr. Ahmet Turkoglu
  • 51st Civil Engineer Squadron Environment Flight
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The 51 Fighter Wing wants to implement a robust Recycling Program. Our goal is to redirect 30 percent of all trash on Osan going to landfills and incinerators and convert to a reusable product instead. The 51st FW will use the recyclable products for reuse, recycle, composting, mulching or donating.

Currently, Team Osan discards trash in garbage collection bins and that trash is hand sorted by a contractor at an off-base facility. The waste contractor sends, for a fee, recyclables to facilities that use the materials. Osan spends $600,000 per year for the waste contract and that cost will continue to rise as disposal costs increase.

"I urge everyone residing and working at Osan to aggressively participate to meet our objective," said Brig. Gen. Joe Reynes, 51st FW commander. "Recycling is an investment in our community, our country and our planet!"

Recyclable materials: High-grade white office paper, any paper product, corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, plastics bottles, glass bottles and glass jars.

The recycling process:

1) Separate and place recyclable materials into a clear plastic bag.

2) Bottles and jars need to be emptied and rinsed prior to placing in a clear plastic bag.

3) Place bagged recyclables in one of the 75 recycling dumpsters or 21 smaller recycling dumpsters (4-compartment containers) closest to you.

Note: Don't place non-recyclable material into the clear plastic bags with recyclable materials because it will contaminate recyclable materials.

The smaller recycling dumpsters (4-compartment containers) are similar to those that you have seen around the Korean Peninsula and in cities throughout the U.S. These dumpsters will be used to separate out recyclable paper, glass, plastic and aluminum products and strategically distributed around the base.

51st Civil Engineer Squadron will be distributing a starter-supply of clear and colored transparent plastic bags to Team Osan. After those supplies run out, translucent bags will be available at the HAZWASTE Shop (Bldg. 833) and CE Self-Help (Bldg. 449).

The GSA Mart and the base exchange also have comparable bags that can be used in recycling.

For more information on the recycling program, contact Mr. Ahmet Turkoglu, 51st CES Environmental Flight, at 784-4272. If the bins/dumpsters are full, contact Services Contracts at 784-6644 for pick-up.