McChord cares about planet: Base shows eco-friendliness by recycling goods, planting trees

  • Published
  • By Tyler Hemstreet
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  From fostering a lush tree population to maintaining an elaborate recycling program, McChord has made environmental awareness a top priority.

"We take our responsibility to care for the environment seriously," said Col. Shane Hershman, 62nd Airlift Wing vice commander. 

"All of our environmental events and programs here represent a concentrated effort by the Team McChord community to keep environmental awareness at a high level."

One of the ways Airmen on base expressed their care for the environment was by celebrating Arbor Day on April 13. 

Base officials assisted local Boy and Girl Scouts in planting 11 flowering cherry trees at the parade grounds near Tuskegee Airman Boulevard.

The base was also recognized during the event for being a part of the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA program for the 14th consecutive year.

In another effort to promote environmental awareness, McChord hosted nearly 20 informational and display booths touting a variety of environmental program information and services April 19 at the base commissary as part of Earth Day.

The crowning piece of McChord's commitment to the environment is the base's recycling center, said chief of the environmental management flight Mike Grenko, 62nd Civil Engineer Squadron.

The recycling program here has saved the base nearly $381,000 per year by recycling refuse instead of sending it to a landfill, Mr. Grenko said.

The staff at the center recycle everything from household goods such as cans, bottles and cardboard to compact discs, computers and clothing. 

The facility has 24-hour drop-off bins and staff who collect recycle bins from buildings on base and provide curbside service for base housing residents.

The center processes more than 430 tons of recyclable goods per month, equalling a 65 percent solid waste diversion rate, Mr. Grenko said.

People on base can continue to help the program and the environment through awareness and insisting on recycling, he said.