Lejeune Hall joins recycling pilot program Employees embrace, reduce, reuse, recycle sentiment

Photo By Valerie OBerry | Marilsa Porter, environmental protection specialist aboard Quantico, Cpl. Spencer Patterson, Cpl. Andrew Sayeg and Major John Crutchfield, NREA branch deputy, drop off new recycle bins to each office space within Lejeune Hall as a part of a recycling pilot program meant to make recycling easier and reduce the environmental impact that recyclable waste has on the base.  

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

10.19.2017

Story by Jeremy Beale 

Marine Corps Base Quantico

By weaving together a combined workforce of base recycling, conservation volunteers, environmental media programs, Single Marine Program (SMP) and Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), the base conserved more natural resources than ever before thus bolstering environmental goodwill, responsibility and community morale.
The mission was accomplished through NREA, MCCS, and the Single Marine Program hosting Quantico’s first Earth Day Education Fair, where residents were able to learn about their role in creating an environmentally conscious community.
The Earth Day fair capped off a week of base-wide cleanup by both Marine and civilian volunteers, who logged more than 250 volunteer hours clearing new nature trails and picking up more than 17 tons of trash and recyclables.
“NREA’s exceptional results in environmental planning and compliance are critical enablers for the base’s mission,” Maj. John Crutchfield, NREA branch deputy said. “Integration of natural resource conservation and awareness further fosters a sense of community responsibility among the Marines, sailors, and civilians aboard Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Marine Corps Base Quantico and ensures that the installation will retain its pristine natural areas for future Marines and their families.”
According to Crutchfield, Quantico’s recycling and conservation volunteer programs are critical funding elements to supporting morale, welfare, recreation and community outreach.
With funds raised this year through the recycling program, NREA was able to provide the majority of funds for the Paintball Park at Quantico, which now enhances the morale of Marines and their families, while providing opportunities for Marine and civilian team building. The Paintball Park is located off McCard Road behind Butler Stadium.
Also in the spirit of reuse and goodwill, NREA partnered with the base library to install Quantico’s first “Little Free Library,” located near the main side playground where books can be shared, exchanged and borrowed by families and children of all ages.
The program continues to foster a sense of community, highlighting the responsibility to conserve resources and encourages reading, reuse, and recycling by allowing the base community to donate unused books to the library.
Additional funds were reinvested into a mobile paper shredder and recyclable commodity baler, allowing NREA to divert and sell paper products, cardboard, aluminum and plastic for the first time, thus continuing their environmental and fiscal impact on the base community.
With the new additions to the recycling facility Marilisa Porter, recycling program manager, has asked Lejeune Hall for assistance with their new recycling pilot program in which blue recycling bins were placed in each office, next to each employee’s desk, to make it easier than ever to recycle. Employees in Lejuene Hall were asked to begin recycling plastics No.1 through No.7. For now no glass or shredded paper will be accepted.
It is asked that all food and drink containers be washed out before being placed in the blue recycling bins.
Plastic bags may be put in the smaller recycling bins, but it is asked when sorting the recyclables into their respective containers outside of the office, not to put plastic bags in the white boxes or the green recyclable bins outside. Doing so will contaminate the load and a contaminated load will be sent to the landfill, thus creating a detriment to an environmentally friendly environment.
Also, no shredded paper will be accepted until the NREA industrial shredder is activated. Once the industrial shredder is operational, NREA will offer shred days to the base and base housing.
As NREA continues to exemplify the Marine Corps mindset of creative problem solving and mission accomplishment, base recycling will start weekly Friday pickups of recyclables and swap the blue bins, which are as big as a standard trashcan, out with fresh bins so employees within Lejuene Hall may start with a fresh container.
Porter asks that the building make the initiative a community effort.

• Date Taken: 10.19.2017
• Date Posted: 11.13.2017 10:37
• Story ID: 255093
• Location: QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US