Recycling allows Hanscom personnel to lessen their impact on environment Published Sept. 1, 2009 By Rhonda Siciliano 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- It has been one month since Hanscom began single-stream recycling, a process that makes it easier for base personnel to do their part to be good stewards of the environment. Single-stream refers to the process by which all recyclable items, despite their metal, plastic, or paper makeup, are processed and organized by recycling plants. Essentially, all the items go on one conveyer belt, or stream, and are sorted either automatically or manually at the plant. This allows Hanscom employees to place items in one designated bin rather than sorting the items themselves, avoiding a complicated system with different recycling rules and requirements for each item. "This is a great way for Hanscom personnel to do their part for the environment," said Mike Marr, Hanscom Recycling point of contact. "We're very pleased to see that employees have been following the new procedures and we want to encourage them to continue their efforts. It's really a very simple thing to do and the benefits are great." Under the new system, recyclables such as corrugated cardboard, office paper (base policy requires that it must still be shredded), brown paper bags, plastic, glass, metal bottles and cans, magazines, newspapers and mixed paper that previously had to be placed in individual containers and taken to the Transfer Station or placed in designated cardboard dumpsters for recycling are now mixed together at the points of generation and placed in designated dumpsters throughout the base for collection and processing. Sixteen single stream dumpsters have been provided by Waste Management, Inc. in the vicinity of buildings 1102D, 1105B, 1138, 1305, 1425, 1534, 1607, 1624, 1639, 1813, 1726, 1900, 1630, 1606 and 1614. Anyone on the base proper (excluding housing) can place the following materials in any one of these specially marked dumpsters. Waste Management will provide stickers for containers within the buildings that will now participate in single stream recycling. Participation in the program is on a voluntary basis. All recycling materials collected at an individual's desk or the labeled bins in the buildings will need to be hand-carried to one of the green dumpsters. "The program will only be as effective as you make it," Mr. Marr said. "It's the right thing to do for the environment and should help drive down the cost of recycling materials which has weakened the recycling market." For more information contact Mike Marr by email at mike.marr.ctr@hanscom.af.mil or by phone at (781) 953-7521. What to Recycle, how to prepare materials. What not to include: Cardboard: flatten cardboard boxes, do not tie. Do not include boxes with food residue Magazines: no special preparation required. Do not include plastic such as mailing jackets, CD advertising discs. Office paper (including shredded paper): Shredded papers loose or in paper bags. Paper that is not shredded and color paper is OK to include. Do not include tissues, paper towels, paper plates or other paper that has food residue. Brown paper bags: No special preparation required. Do not include bags with food residue. Newspapers: No special preparation required. Plastic bottles, containers: Rinse clean, OK to include caps, lids and labels. Do not include numbered plastics (1-7) only. No plastics bags, kitchen bags, plastic wrap or Styrofoam. Junk mail: No special preparation required, plastic windows are OK. Phonebooks: No special preparation required. Paperboard (includes milk, orange juice cartons, juice boxes): Flatten boxes, empty and rinse cartons, material may be flattened. Remove wax and foil liners from food boxes, remove straws and do not include food residue. Glass bottles, jars (clear, green, brown glass bottles and jars only): Rinse clean, OK to include caps, lids and labels. Do not include broken glass, ceramics or other glass. Aluminum cans, foil, pie plates: Rinse clean, labels are OK. Do not include paint cans, coat hangers or food residue. Steel cans, empty aerosol cans: rinse clean, labels are OK, cans may be flattened. Do not include paint cans, coat hangers, food residue.