Cannon officials urge residents to recycle

America Recycles Day is Nov. 15 and is dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. Since its inception in 1997, the ARD campaign has grown to include millions of Americans pledging to increase their recycling habits at home and work, and to buy products made with recycled materials. Year after year, residents in every state of the nation participate in America Recycles Day events.

According to the http://www.americarecyclesday.org, the amount of energy saved last year from recycling aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles, glass containers, newsprint and corrugated packaging was equivalent to:

• The amount of electricity consumed by 17.8 million Americans in one year.

• 29 percent of nuclear electricity generation in the U.S. in one year.

• 7.9 percent of electricity generation from fossil fuels in the U.S. in one year.

• 11 percent of the energy produced by coal-fired power plants in the U.S.

• Energy supplied from 2.7 percent of imported barrels of crude oil into the U.S.

• The amount of gasoline used in almost 11 million passenger automobiles in one year.

America Recycles Day promotes the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling and encourages more people to join the movement toward creating a better natural environment.

Cannon Air Force Base is dedicated to protecting and respecting our natural resources, by diverting solid waste from our landfills and promoting green procurement. All base organizations, tenant organizations, military family housing occupants, dorm occupants and contractors are required to participate in the installation Qualified Recycling Program. It requires recyclables to be free of food contaminates, rinsed as necessary and separated from normal refuse.

Recyclables include but not necessary limited to; newspapers, mixed office paper, paper bags, cardboard, books (remove hardback, plastic covers or binders), magazines, aluminum cans, tin cans, scrap metals, glass bottles, plastic bottles which are stamped with either no. 1 PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) or #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene) on the bottom, and yard waste to include tree limbs less than six feet (no animal waste).

Ensure that personal information is removed and government official documents are shredded in accordance with DoD policy before recycling. Do-it-yourself used oil, antifreeze and lead-acid batteries can be taken to base Auto Skill Center or participating auto parts centers downtown. Tires should be left with the tire dealer or taken to the Clovis landfill. Plastic bags can be taken to participating retailers. Military family housing recyclables should be set out for pick up during normal trash collection days while work centers on base are collected on Wednesday mornings.

Cannon housing residents can pick up extra recycling containers at the Recycling Center, Building 2327, on South Perimeter Road. The Recycling Center is equipped with large bins in front of the facility for all recycling needs. These large recycling bins can also be used by Clovis and Portales 801 housing residents and DoD employees/retirees with base access.

All Cannon patrons should renew their commitment to recycle on Nov. 15. To take a proactive approach to reduce, reuse, and recycle both at work and home, visit http://www.americarecyclesday.org and take the pledge.

For more information, visit the information booth at the commissary/BX today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or call Jake Madril at the Natural Resources Management Office at 784-4820.