Photo By Lance Cpl. David Brandes | Michael Lewis, a hazardous waste disposer with the Natural Resources and Environmental...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- Michael Lewis, a hazardous waste disposer with the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs office on MCB Quantico, received the Junior Civilian of the Quarter Award for his work that generated over half a million dollars in revenue over the course of a year from the base’s Recycling Facility Program on July 24.
Quantico's Qualified Recycling Program, run by a three-person team, recycles a wide variety of materials including scrap metal, brass, cardboard, and batteries to maintain environmental sustainability. To achieve his accomplishment, Lewis facilitated movement of 1,107 tons of material, which is roughly the equivalent weight of over two Boeing 747s.
“He’s like the energizer bunny,” said Ms. Keysia Linder, Lewis’ supervisor and the MCB Quantico Recycling Warehouse Manager. “He seldom needs direction, and he’s a self-starter.”
Lewis also helped increase the program’s diversion rate to 33.97%, which is the percentage of material brought into the facility that is recycled, indicating how well the recycling center functions.
“I’d say on a normal day I come in at 5:30,” said Lewis.
Lewis said he then has a meeting with his team to go over their daily requirements. After that, he typically picks up cardboard from dumpsters to bring back to the facility, but he handles a variety of other requirements, too.
“We may be doing brass deforming which is laborious and can take up most of the day,” he said. “There’s a lot of customer service,” he said, further explaining that there are various things people bring in to get recycled, including dealing with scrap metal and old batteries.
“Just a couple days ago someone brought in some hand sanitizer that hadn’t even been opened, it would’ve just been thrown away if they hadn’t brought it in,” said Lewis.
Before his current position, Lewis drove trucks and operated heavy equipment for a commercial recycling company, gaining experience that he now provides to the recycling program on base.
“It was a full-fledged recycling operation,” said Lewis. “We had a lot of materials coming in that we didn’t used to deal with here, like wire and copper, that you can use to make money.”
Quantico’s Qualified Recycling Program was intermittently utilized before becoming a dedicated program in 2016, and Lewis joined the then-two-person program in late 2023. The program has had a powerful effect on the community and environment of Quantico; the recycling proceeds allow base to invest in projects such as Lunga Park and pollinator gardens.
“All numbers have increased,” said Linder, explaining that profits have already showed an increase since this time last year. “Last year, we might have been at 200,000 0r 300,000, but we’ve already exceeded that.”
Military bases may differ in degree of recycling effectiveness, with ranging diversion rates, and others may not even have a program.
Lewis said for those without a program, the first step to start one is by simply starting it.
“A lot of places don’t even have a program because they haven’t figured out how to make it profitable,” he said. “It can make a big difference just having a place for people to drop material off.”
For bases that have a program but want to expand it, Linder suggests using Quantico’s recent developments as a model.
“Invest in more machinery and training,” she said, explaining that these steps expand the amount and types of material that can be recycled.”
With everything their team has accomplished, they don’t lose sight of what these numbers mean for base residents and even the world.
“It’s important not to waste and work to reuse things,” Lewis said and emphasized that “… a lot of things thrown away are reusable. It helps reduce pollution, reduce the number of landfills and it creates jobs.”
For those on MCB Quantico looking for a way to do their part for the Recycling Facility, contact the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs at (703) 784-4030 or visit Building 3185, located across the train tracks, past Officer Candidate School, at the end of Bauer Road.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2025 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 543819 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Unsung Heroes: Michael Lewis reimagines recycling on Quantico, receives award, by LCpl David Brandes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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