White House honors Sheppard recycling program Published April 29, 2009 By Airman 1st Class Candy Miller 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 82nd Civil Engineering Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas, recently won the 2009 White House Closing the Circle Award in the Recycling, military category. The national-level award recognizes outstanding achievements of federal employees and their facilities for efforts that have made a significant impact on promoting environmental stewardship. "It's a personal victory," said Tim Hunter, the base's alternate recycling program manager. "We have a passion to see the program thrive and grow. Our drive is because of our passion." It's common for Air Education and Training Command to tell bases to refer to Sheppard's program for improvement, Mr. Hunter said. The base recycles about 65 percent of its solid waste and about 90 percent of its construction debris. The Air Force goal is 50 percent for both. The program diverted about 1.9 million pounds of goods, including plastics, paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum cans and other mixed metals, from being placed in landfills last year through recycling. "Landfill avoidance saves land. We can't just keep digging holes and throwing stuff in it," Mr. Hunter said. "It affects the environment and water. We're saving resources and reducing energy." About eight years ago when Sheppard AFB's recycling was contracted out, the numbers went down because people weren't educated on recycling and the program needed to make recycling easy. Mr. Hunter said the program uses recycling monitors at the group and squadron level to keep Sheppard educated on the program and that helped the results grow exponentially. The Closing the Circle awards have recognized outstanding achievements of Federal employees and their facilities for their commitment to environmental stewardship by improving environmental performance and conditions at federal facilities. "The President believes that we all have a responsibility to our children to leave this Earth better than we found it," said Dana Arnold, the Acting Federal Environmental Executive. "All Americans must have a vested interest in the protection and proper maintenance of our irreplaceable national treasures. Our award winners this year have worked hard and long in their respective Federal agencies and facilities to ensure that their policies, programs and practices lead us to a healthier, better sustainable, and economically stronger America." The award ceremony takes place in June in Bethesda, Md.