America Recycles Day is today

Today is America Recycles Day. Now in its sixth year, America Recycles Day is a national campaign designed to educate Americans about the economic, social and environmental benefits of recycling and of buying recycled products.

As a service to Laboratory workers, staff from Solid Waste Operations (FWO-SWO) and Applied Technologies (RRES-AT) are distributing free information on recycling from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the Otowi Building Cafeteria lobby at Technical Area 3.

In addition, as part of New Mexico Recycling Awareness Month and in celebration of America Recycles Day, the Laboratory is co-sponsoring the Recycle Santa Fe Festival of Recycling Friday through Sunday at Sweeney Convention Center in Santa Fe.

FWO-SWO recently took over managing the Lab's recycling program to improve recycling services, increase efficiency of recycling collection and increase the amount of recyclable items collected. FWO-SWO staff is available to help Lab organizations set up recycle systems or provide recycling awareness and assistance, said Pat Gallagher of RRES-AT.

Why should we recycle?

Gallagher said the Department of Energy established the 2005 Pollution Prevention goal of 45 percent recycling, meaning that the Laboratory must recycle at least 45 percent of the routine and non-routine sanitary waste it creates. Currently, the Laboratory is surpassing the DOE goal by recycling 70 percent of office wastes and bulk wastes generated at the Laboratory. The 70 percent recycling rate was achieved largely from the new concrete, asphalt and soil recycling programs established in the past year, she said.

However, DOE has given the Laboratory until 2005 to reduce the amount of routine sanitary waste it disposes at the landfill by 50 percent. To meet this goal, the Laboratory must remove an additional 456 metric tons of waste from its refuse dumpsters, Gallagher said.

In addition, the Los Alamos County landfill, where the Lab sanitary waste is disposed, is scheduled to close in June 2004.

"Increased staffing caused by increased mission work makes this goal even more challenging. However, we can meet this goal if everyone does his or her part to reduce waste and recycle," said Gallagher.

"Not creating waste in the first place is often the most cost effective way to reduce waste. Double-sided printing and copying, reusable food and beverage containers, small signature lines on electronic mail messages, electronic catalogs, electronic filing systems and reusable pallets all help reduce waste at the source," said Gallagher. Junk mail can be eliminated by sending it to Mail Stop J568. Staff there will have Lab workers' names removed from junk mailing lists, Gallagher added.

--Steve Sandoval

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