MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. -- Base personnel should be aware of on-going efforts to support ‘green’ initiatives such as the recycling of waste paper, but not all paper is created, or recycled the same.
Plain, white paper is recycled while documents which fall under the Privacy Act must be shredded.
“People may have papers which are confidential or for their eyes only, and we’re required by regulation to shred them,” said John Topper, recycling manager, Installation and Environment Division, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. “If material which needs to be shredded is on colored paper, we ask that it be shredded separately from the white paper and placed into the trash.”
White paper which is shredded at MCLB Albany is bundled and resold to commercial vendors as recycled paper.
“The base has been doing a good job with recycling, but we need to stress the importance of shredding papers which need shredding, and plastics (credit cards or compact discs which need to be shredded) should be done separately from white paper,” Topper added.
The shredder for official use is located in the recycling area of Building 3600 and employees may also use smaller office shredders in their individual offices.
“That shredded paper should be gathered in plastic bags and placed on the floor next to the blue barrels at the recycling pick-up points around the base,” Topper added.
Recycling and shredding are a routine function in offices and employees are encouraged to regularly process papers.
“We recycle, so each one of us in the office has a bin next to their desks where they put all of their white paper for recycling,” said Kay Mull, command safety specialist, Installation, Environment and Safety, Marine Corps Logistics Command. “When we get enough to make the trip, someone in our office goes around and collects everyone’s paper and takes it to the shredder.”
The shredder in Building 3600 is key-controlled and the collection bin is large enough to handle substantial jobs.
Mull said she has recycled paper as long as she has been a government employee, including time on active duty.
“I worked in a classified field, and we had to shred and burn all the paper,” she said.
The Base recycling program is guided by various regulations, such as Executive Order 13514 which President Barack Obama signed in October 2009, according to officials at I & E.
“It requires all federal agencies to divert 50 percent of non-hazardous solid waste from landfills by 2015. The base has a mature and active recycling program that is on target to meet this goal and the recycling of shredded paper is just one more way that MCLB Albany is fulfilling the requirements of the executive order,” said Brian Wallace, head, Environmental Branch, I & E. “The success of the base recycling program is due to three key factors: active participation by base personnel, available markets and dedicated employees.
To schedule a pick up or to request recycling bins, call (229) 639-6296.