CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo — Military and civilian officials at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo have launched their most aggressive campaign ever to promote recycling at the American military base located just outside the city of Ferizaj/Urosevac.
"We could reduce 90 percent of our solid wastes here at Camp Bondsteel if we all pitch in and start recycling plastics and metals right away," said Patrick Chauvey, Camp Bondsteel Directorate of Public Works Environmental Manager. "It is going to take some discipline and it may sometimes be inconvenient but it is the right time and the right thing to do," he adds.
To help Soldiers and civilians recycle, huge bins marked with recyclables have been placed near all metal trash bins. Every unit on base is also encouraged to designate certain receptacles within their offices or area of operation to divert plastic and metal recyclables from the mainstream trash cans. This in turn will drastically reduce the amount of refuse that is dumped into landfills near Camp Bondsteel.
"Currently, we here at Camp Bondsteel produce about 285 tons of solid waste every month," said Chauvey. He says what contributes to this is the more than 800,000 units of bottled water that is consumed annually on base which creates a huge stockpile of plastic bottles that are taken straight to the landfill. This requires five to eight dump truck loads to be driven every day to the Velekince Landfill near Gjilane.
Furthermore, Chauvey says dumping trash into landfills is not a long term solution and if possible, should be eliminated as an option.
"This is a critical time because the landfill industry in Kosovo is in financial turmoil and we need to rely less on the landfills than ever before for that very reason," said Chauvey. "There are days that our trucks that go to the landfill are turned back because the equipment is down and trash is not accepted.
A government study backs Chauvey's statement.
Commissioned in 2003, a United Nations Mission in Kosovo study titled "Kosovo, State of the Environment Report," reveals that waste management in Kosovo faces huge challenges namely a lack of adequate and controlled disposal process of waste and that most landfills built before the 1999 conflict were built and managed well below acceptable standards.
Local environmentalist echo Chauvey's sentiments and say that landfills are expensive and bad for the environment. They say that if plastic, paper and metal are sorted; there is a fledging recyclable industry in Kosovo ready to help.
Additionally, Camp Bondsteel environmentalists say if you break down the sheer amount of trash created by U.S. Forces versus local nationals, American Soldiers produce double the amount of solid wastes over those who are natives of Kosovo.
"Right now, the statistics we have show that the average Kosovar produces close to 6 pounds [2.3 kilograms] of trash on a daily basis," said Chauvey. "The average U.S. Soldier on Camp Bondsteel produces more than 12 pounds [5.5 kilograms] of trash during the same time frame."
Regardless of the numbers or the amount of trash on Camp Bondsteel, those working to help promote recycling here in Kosovo have set a goal to have a successful program up and running by the time Soldiers in the next Multi-National Task Force East rotation officially take over in November.
"This would help the Kosovo community to recycle and to think about recycling," says Chauvey summing it all up by saying..."what a lasting legacy that would be for the Soldiers of KFOR 11."
