FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Celebrating this year's Earth Day, Fort Rucker Directorate of Public Works Environmental and Natural Resources Division staff hosted the post's first-ever Zero Waste event April 26.

Organizers used the luncheon event to raise sustainability awareness among community members and remind them to reduce, reuse and recycle, and that every day is Earth Day at Fort Rucker.

Zero Waste concepts used for this event can also be applied to large-scale events, such as training exercises, conferences, organization days and community events, said Darrell Hager, DPW-ENRD Leading Change Team member.

The ZeeWee event, as it has been nicknamed, emphasized that planning ahead is the key to successful sustainability efforts.

"Our advance planning centered around reducing solid waste, using compostable products, reusing various elements such as banners, and recycling cardboard and plastic that were generated by the event," Hager said.

"We chose our luncheon menu carefully, to reduce our waste to as close to zero as we could get. We decided on catfish, hushpuppies, coleslaw, garden salad and creamed early peas with new potatoes," he added.

"Catfish is very popular in the South, but what a lot of folks don't know is that catfish yields virtually no waste. Once filleted, every part of the fish is recycled into fertilizer and other organic products," Hager said.

The team chose the remaining menu items because of source proximity - purchasing the produce from local growers - thereby reducing the amount of fuel emissions to the environment.

"Many people don't realize that transportation costs and emissions have a direct impact on the environment," Hager said. "There's a huge environmental benefit to buying from local producers, and locally produced food is fresher and as a result often more nutritious than products shipped in from across the country or distant places like Chile and Mexico.

"Consider how long products have been in transit before reaching your grocery store, and the fuel consumed to transport them," he said.

"This Zero Waste event directly supports the Installation Management Command Campaign Plan," said Cynthia Ranchino, lead plans specialist at the garrison Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.

According to the Installation Readiness line of effort in the IMCP, installations are to "preserve, protect, conserve, sustain and, where appropriate, restore the natural environment, and comply with statutory and other environmental requirements."

"We are already embarking on several projects in support of the IMCP," said Al Townsend, supervisory environmental engineer. "The post recycling program, and 'Going Wild' initiative are a couple examples of our dedication to developing a sustainable environment here on Fort Rucker."

"The 'Going Wild' program, which allows land to revert back to its natural state, is the best thing to do for the parcels of land at Fort Rucker that play no major role in training," said Doug Watkins, DPW environmental and natural resources agronomist.

The "Going Wild" plot sits across the street from the Veterinary Services stray facility along Andrews Avenue.

"Apple, pear and plum trees, blueberry bushes and wildflowers are planted throughout the plot," Watkins said. "All are beneficial to the wildlife that grow and evolve. The land will eventually become a living food plot, nesting for turkeys and a nursery area for fawning."

"Our Qualified Recycling Program employs sustainable practices around the installation, particularly in the cardboard and office paper initiative programs," Townsend said. "This program's efforts, led by ENRD staff, have helped the installation increase its paper and cardboard collections by 25 and 45 percent, respectively, over the last two years. Additionally, on-going efforts are contributing to the collection of other commodities that has led and will lead to significant savings and/or cost avoidance for the installation."

"In keeping with IMCOM guidance, we plan to further integrate program goals across the installation to lead and execute environmental initiatives, increasing recycling programs post-wide to reduce waste going to landfills," said Col. James Muskopf, Fort Rucker garrison commander.

"We intend to keep this program in the forefront and to maintain visibility among community members reminding them that on Fort Rucker, 'Every Day is Earth Day.'" he said.