FORT LEE, Va. (March 5, 2015) -- Students who attend the Army Logistics University here can be subject to such a voluminous academic workload they have little time for much else.
Unless it is recycling.
Those assigned to Bravo Company, 71st Transportation Battalion, have -- over the course of three months -- expanded a startup recycling effort into a robust program with high levels of participation despite course demands, said the unit's top enlisted Soldier.
"The classes were introduced to the idea in November 2014," said 1st Sgt. Cornelius Patterson. "Each class set individual goals, which in turn set a goal for the company, and it took off from there."
Second Lt. Kimberley Taylor, the class 15-002 recycling officer who recently graduated, said her class collected more than 100 pounds of recyclables -- more than 10 large trash bags -- without encouraging classmates to consume more.
"It wasn't so much as getting so many recyclables," said the active duty Soldier and Louisiana native. "We did not try to get them to buy more products to add to the waste or our totals."
Instead, students brought in recyclables they would normally acquire over the course of a day and not just from what they purchased at the schoolhouse, said Taylor.
"When they purchased things from the main exchange, they actually bought the recyclables to me," she said. "This was off-duty time at the (Fort Lee) Lodge."
Recyclables include aluminum cans in addition to plastic and glass bottles.
The volunteers' commitment to collecting the recyclables is inspirational, said Taylor. "Everybody wants to be involved with something positive," she said, noting classmates reciprocated the volunteers' effort.
Second Lt. Jessica A. Delph, the recycling officer for class 15-003, said fellow classmates bought into the program after learning the Army mandates recycling.
"A lot of them came up to me and said 'I didn't realize the Army cared; that it was important,'" said the environmental science major and member of the Utah National Guard. "Once they realized it, they were like, 'Oh, I'll help this week' or 'I can help next week.'"
Further support of the program was bolstered through the element of competition, added Delph. "We love and feed off of that, and it got them excited."
That excitement has resulted in 41.5 pounds of recyclables since January," said Delph. "For two months (of work), that's not so bad."
In addition to the leadership experience gained as recycling officers, Taylor and Delph said it was enlightening to see how command leadership plays a role in helping them to achieve.
"They gave us the freedom and guidance to accomplish our goals," said Taylor. "I learned so much throughout this program. It just doesn't apply to recycling, it applies to everything -- the expertise you gain and the relationships you build. That's what leadership is all about."
It is also all about planting the seeds of interest, said Delph about the unit recycling program.
"It's really fulfilling because not only am I helping the program here," she said, "but I'm helping my peers to make long-lasting impacts."
Now that Bravo's recycling program is running on all cylinders, the program should be expanded and enhanced, said Taylor. Her recommended improvements include making recycling bins "as accessible as trash cans."
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