FORT HOOD, Texas -The Fort Hood Recycle Center and Killeen Independent School District have formed a partnership in which the garrison will provide recycle services to the Meadows and Duncan Elementary Schools. Next school year, the recycling effort could be extended to nine campuses on Fort Hood.
The partnership is an example of how Fort Hood and KISD are working together to cut costs, increase recyclables and educate the community.
"Recycling is absolutely a no brainer," Max Cleaver, KISD executive director of facilities services, said. "Eighty percent of our waste stream is recyclable and if KISD can claim 25 percent of the recyclables then we can reduce our solid waste bill by a third."
KISD has limited recycling services. The district has one individual to collect recyclables from 60 different campuses and another individual to bale the material.
The partnership will increase recycle efficiencies for the district and help give back to the Fort Hood community.
Revenue generated from the recycling pays for the Fort Hood program and capital improvements and then comes back to the community to fund events like Freedom Fest, Month of the Military Child Fest, Earth Fest, welcome home celebrations, carnivals, and unit Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities.
"The on-post students are the same ones that attend Fort Hood community events," Steve Burrow, chief of environmental programs, said. "These students are recycling and helping to give back to the community."
Rufus Walker, assistant recycle manager, attends school events throughout the year, educating students and teachers about the benefits of recycling. When Walker was asked why KISD didn't recycle, he decided to further investigate the district's recycle program.
Walker worked with Max Cleaver and Thomas Colvin, director of Maintenance and Operations, and took them on a tour of the recycle facility in September 2010. Cleaver and Colvin were impressed with the efficient recycle operations, and it started the talk of the recycle partnership.
The Recycle Center has set up recycle dumpsters to collect cardboard, all paper, mixed steel, aluminum cans and plastic at Meadows and Duncan Elementary Schools as a pilot program until June 2011. The program will be assessed to determine if it will be expanded to collect recyclable materials at nine campuses, including two middle schools and seven elementary schools on Fort Hood.
"This is a great partnership between Fort Hood and KISD," Jaycee Turnquist, recycle business manager, said. "Fort Hood will provide training to staff, continue to educate the students, provide containers and increase awareness to the community."
"The Recycle Center has been outstanding and KISD is very pleased with how quickly we are able to kick off this recycling partnership," Cleaver said.
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