Command to observe recycling day Published Nov. 6, 2006 By Michael Briggs Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AETCNS) -- About 800 fifth-grade students in the city of Columbus and Lowndes County, Miss., have been busy painting light bulbs, cutting up greeting cards and using lots of glue over the past few weeks. While the activity might sound a bit messy, each student's aim is to make less of a mess on the environment by assembling used items to make recycled holiday ornaments. Columbus Air Force Base is sponsoring the ornament contest for the second year in a row to raise awareness during the annual observance of America Recycles Day Nov. 15. The top three winners in the contest receive cash prizes and the classroom with the most participation gets a pizza party, said Renee Howell, recycling program manager for the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus AFB. Ms. Howell said she researched the Internet to find an interesting activity that would motivate school-age children to get involved in recycling in a creative way. The benefits of the program are twofold: Students develop recycling habits they will take into adulthood, while they also encourage their families to recycle at home. "Our goal is to promote recycling and to raise America Recycles Day awareness," she said. "We want to see children and families recycling more and littering less." The goal of the nationwide observance of America Recycles Day is similar. The organizers of the event that's been held annually since 1997 encourage Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products. Dan Medina, Air Education and Training Command recycling program manager, said bases throughout the command will conduct activities similar to Columbus' on America Recycles Day. Recycling is not complicated, and the more people do it, the more they will seek ways to increase how much and what they recycle, he said. For people who aren't sure where to get started, he has some simple advice. "One of the first things to do is look inside your trash can," Mr. Medina said. "There are many items that end up in the trash that can be recycled, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard boxes, newspapers and computer paper." Those are some of the most commonly recycled items, but things like cellular phones, car tires and eyeglasses can also be recycled or reused. Base recycling managers can let people know what their base collects and how to recycle locally. At Altus AFB, Okla., the base has made great strides in its recycling program because of a community-wide mindset that recycling is the right thing to do, said Mike Reyes, recycling program manager for the 97th Air Mobility Wing. He encouraged people to get more involved in their base or community's recycling programs. "With the throw-away society and mindset a large number of Americans have today, it is vital that we do something to change," Mr. Reyes said. "We cannot continue to simply throw things away when we finish using them. By encouraging the three R's -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- we can make a difference. We need to look at how our actions will impact our children in the future and make a commitment to leaving them a better place to enjoy their lives." People can also help the environment by buying items that can be recycled or that are made from recycled goods. "We often check the labels of the food items we buy for the nutritional value of the contents, but if you look elsewhere on the package you'll find many items have a mobius symbol, the three chasing arrows, with a number inside of it," Mr. Medina said. "This identifies that the item is recyclable and the recycling category for the item." Mr. Medina said people can get a lot more information about how recycling works by visiting their base or community recycling center. There they can see the recycling process in action and learn what products are made from recyclables. Events like America Recycles Day have been successful in increasing recycling awareness, but people can do more to keep items from ending up in landfills, Mr. Medina said. "AETC is going to continue to increase the outreach and awareness initiatives we already have in place," he said. "These have been very successful, and it shows in the volume of material recycled every year at our installations, whether it's concrete, steel, plastics, wood or paper -- it's all been recycled. "Whether it's Air Force people hosting recycling events at the base or visiting local schools and communities, we intend to continue spreading the word about the need to reduce, reuse and recycle." To learn more about recycling, people can visit the America Recycles Day Web site at www.americarecyclesday.org or the EPA site at www.epa.gov.