Recycling: it's the law

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Leslie Keopka
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Jan. 21, 2014 --  RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany--Contrary to what some may believe, on-base recycling is not an option; recycling in Germany is the law.

786th Civil Engineer Squadron service contract representatives want members of the Kaiserslautern Military Community to be aware of the policies and rules on recycling while living in base housing.

"The recycling policies are the same on base as they are off base; paper, plastics, glass and regular refuse," said Luise Westrich, 786th Civil Engineer Squadron service contracts representative. "We need to be in compliance with the regulation, which is mandatory separation of materials."

The U.S. government spends 9 million euro every year on recycling and trash-removal contracts. It is important for residents to ensure their properly-separated trash gets into the correct bin. The platforms surrounding the bins must remain clear.

"Disposal of bags on the platforms is not allowed; the [refuse collection] driver is not required to pick up the extra bags," Westrich said. "The platform needs to be clean and clear to ensure the driver can lift the bins."

If parents have little helpers around the home pitching in, it is important they know the rules as well.

"A lot of parents send their kids to go throw the trash in the bins, but sometimes the kids just want to hurry and go play and will dump the bag into whichever bin, not necessarily the proper one," said Staff Sgt. Mario Amadiz, 786th CES service contracts representative. "Sometimes it doesn't even make it in a bin; they just leave it on the side. If you're going to have your children do that job, watch and ensure they are doing it properly."

Residents must pick up the recycling bags from the U-Fix-It store located on Ramstein in Bldg. 859. They are mandatory and free-of-charge. The bags are there to provide customers the means they need to correctly recycle.

When items are not properly separated, the contractor takes the refuse to the landfill and they often get turned away due to having recyclable items.

"Residents need to sort properly; that is the biggest problem we have," said Westrich. "The trash contractor is getting sent away from the landfill due to the trash not being sorted properly; they have to take the trash to their area and sort it out. The [German] government is looking into changing the contract to allow the company to charge extra money for having to sort through the trash."

Residents are encouraged to start the sorting process inside the home. Having separate labeled bins for the different bags will allow families to get into the routine of proper recycling.

Aside from regular weekly recycling and garbage removal, bulk trash removal, such as furniture and other large items, can be placed out near the bin platforms, not directly on them.

"Make sure you put your bulk items out the day, or night, before the bulk pick-up," said Martina Divivier, 786th CES service contracts representative. "The time frame for bulk trash pickup is as follows: May 1 through Sept. 30, every Monday and Oct. 1 through April 30, the second and last Monday of the each month."

Another long-standing issue is the amount of illegal dumping from off-base residents that drop their garbage off into the on-base recycling facilities; this is prohibited.

The government pays each military member a utility allowance that covers the cost of recycling and trash removal in their villages. If an off-base resident dumps their garbage on base, the government is essentially paying for garbage removal twice.

On-base residents are allowed to use the recycling centers located at building 5146 on Ramstein and building 2821 on Vogelweh. Off-base residents are allowed to utilize the recycling centers in their respective villages.

Following the set policy for recycling will not only save the government money, but will also prevent the government from having to spend additional taxpayer's dollars. 

Contact the housing office with any questions regarding the trash and recycling policies at 489-6671/6672.