Editorial: Recycling vital to Cost Conscious Culture

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Matthew Blessing
  • 47th Civil Engineer Squadron
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Remember your three R's: Reduce, Reuse and RECYCLE!
Properly discarding refuse and recyclables is an important habit that everyone can practice. Recycling can be a significant act of conservation, and there are many resources available to Laughlin personnel to allow recycling of many different materials.

The Laughlin Recycling Center, located at building 2018 on Arkansas Street, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center provides three different services. You can contact them to schedule a recycling pick-up at your base facility, you can drop off recyclables at the center during operating hours or you can utilize their after-hours drop-off bins located outside the center.

Items that can be recycled at the center include most kinds of paper excluding carbon paper and sticky notes, #1 and #2 plastic items except for engine oil and insecticide containers, cardboard, clear brown and green glass food and drink containers, aluminum and tin. Trash, furniture, and Styrofoam are examples of items that are not recycled here.

When using after-hours bins, ensure that all containers are free of food and liquid, separate your items and deposit them in the appropriate bins. Please ensure that your recyclables are completely in the bins so the full container is used leaving your recyclable materials on the ground is prohibited. For recycling center questions, contact Oscar Ozuna at 298-4230.

In addition to the base recycling center there are other locations you can use:
1) Base Auto Hobby Shop accepts used oil, transmission fluids, other automotive fluids, batteries, tires, and anti-freeze for a small disposal fee. Batteries and tires can also be taken to retail stores for disposal. Contact the Auto Hobby Shop at 298-5844 for more information.

2) Laughlin Family Housing residents are provided curbside recycling pickup on Fridays. Housing residents are provided two small containers with three compartments in each to separate recyclable items. Residents are highly encouraged to utilize these services. For additional information, contact the housing office directly at 298-1701.

3) The City of Del Rio's Recycling Center, located at 1409 East Gibbs St. accepts steel cans, aluminum, glass, different types of plastics, cardboard, paper items, cell phones, rechargeable batteries, ink jet cartridges, and wood pallets from the general public. Their hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. For more information call 774-8565.

With everyone's participation, Laughlin hopes to recycle 50 percent of all solid waste leaving the base in accordance with a 2009 executive order by President Obama. Any questions regarding the recycling program can be directed to the 47th Civil Engineer Squadron at 298-5063.