Lab promotes recycling awareness

Recycling information available today at Otowi Building

Laboratory workers can learn more about recycling and the Laboratory's waste reduction efforts today at the Otowi Building as the Lab marks national America Recycles Day.

An information table is in the Otowi Building cafeteria lobby at Technical Area 3 from 11 a.m. to about 2 p.m., said Pat Gallagher of Environmental Applications (RRES-EA). Lab workers can receive free information on recycling at the information table, she said.

Saturday is the seventh national America Recycles Day, an annual, national campaign designed to educate Americans about the economic, social and environmental benefits of recycling and of buying recycled products.

November also is New Mexico Recycling Awareness Month, sponsored by the New Mexico Recycling Coalition, and the Lab has several recycling and waste-reduction events planned, Gallagher added.

Solid Waste Operations (FWO-SWO) Eberline Services and Duratek Federal Services are collaborating with RRES-EA on the recycling awareness events at the Lab.

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 recycling systems or to provide recycling awareness and assistance, Gallagher said.

She said other events planned are outreach activities at schools in Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties, including an aluminum can recycling drive at which the Lab will weigh recyclables that school children collect, include them in the Lab's aluminum recyclables and then provide checks for the value of the recycled materials to the schools.

Gallagher said the Lab also plans to participate in the Festival of Recycling in Santa Fe Nov. 21-23 and the Lab's Pollution Prevention team will make subject-matter experts available to speak to Lab organizations about the importance of recycling.

Why should we recycle?

Gallagher said that 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 nonroutine sanitary waste it creates. Currently, the Laboratory is surpassing the DOE goal by recycling 73 percent of office wastes and bulk wastes generated at the Laboratory. The 73 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. In the 2003 fiscal year, the Laboratory generated 1,600 metric tons of waste. In the current fiscal year, the Lab needs to reduce this amount to 1,400 metric tons, or about 40 pounds per person, said Gallagher.

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

"Increased staffing caused by the Lab's 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," Gallagher said.

"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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