Lab wins prestigious award for recycling program

Contact: David Lyons, (505) 665 9198 (00-077)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., June 8, 2000 -- The Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory has won a White House award for its recycling program for junk mail and other recyclable paper products.

Federal Environmental Executive Fran McPoland presented the 2000 Closing the Circle Award during a ceremony at the Old Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to Los Alamos for its Mail Stop A1000 Junk Mail Recycling Program, run jointly by the Business Operations and Environmental Science and Waste Technology divisions.

"It is an incredible honor to receive such a distinguished award from the White House, and I congratulate everyone involved for a wonderful job in making the program an unqualified success worthy of national recognition," said recycling program developer Anthony R. Garcia of the Mail Services Group in BUS Division. Dianne Wilburn of E Division also helped develop the program.

This is the first time that Los Alamos has won such an award, which recognizes federal employees and facilities for successful waste reduction programs in such categories as waste prevention, recycling, purchasing recycled products, environmental preferability, model facility demonstration and sowing the seeds for change. DOE submitted the Los Alamos program to the White House for consideration.

"The junk mail recycling program is one of our biggest pollution prevention success stories," said Jan Watson, solid and sanitary waste project leader for Los Alamos' Environmental Stewardship Office in E Division. "We're very proud of these folks who truly deserve this kind of recognition."

The Mail Stop A1000 Junk Mail Recycling Program began in early 1998. Through it, Los Alamos employees send their unwanted junk mail, transparencies, books, magazines, binders, colored paper, catalogs and other recyclable products to the specially designated A1000 mail address onsite. Mailroom staff also collect these items daily while delivering mail.

After sorting the waste, Los Alamos ships it to various recycling centers statewide, saving about 15 to 20 percent compared to the cost of shipping it to the local landfill, said Watson.

As a result of the program, about 20 metric tons of waste is recycled each month, helping Los Alamos meet waste reduction and recycling requirements specified in the DOE/University of California management contract.

ESO Program Manager Tom Starke said the Closing the Circle award is a national acknowledgement of Los Alamos' commitment to reducing waste wherever possible.

"The Mail Stop A1000 Program is one of several waste reduction and pollution prevention initiatives that Laboratory staff have implemented during the past few years," he said. "We hope that by winning this prestigious award, more and more people become aware of this institution's dedication to reducing waste and pollution at every stage of the process, from cradle to grave."

More information about the Mail Stop A1000 Program and other recycling programs at Los Alamos is available online at http://emeso.lanl.gov/info/recycling/list.htm#MSA1000.

Information about Los Alamos' pollution prevention initiatives also is online at http://emeso.lanl.gov/

More news releases from the Environmental Science and Waste Technology (E) Division