STUTTGART, Germany -- When it's time for military community members to move, the last things left in the house are usually cleaning supplies. These are needed for last-minute touch-ups before the final housing inspection.
But afterward, since they cannot be shipped, those supplies are often thrown away or dumped outside, becoming an environmental hazard and a waste of money and materials.
This waste can be avoided, if community members take advantage of the Hazardous Material Reuse Center on Panzer Kaserne.
The reuse center, part of the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Directorate of Logistics' central receiving point (opposite the Panzer Commissary), is a warehouse full of cleaning supplies, paint, toner for printers, oil and other similar products -- all free of charge.
"People in family housing about to go back to the States have extra cleaning products -- [they] could be used by other people," said Mike Lansdale, Reuse Center manager.
Materials include cleaning spray, ink cartridges, oil and even plant food.
"This is an ideal place for this sort of stuff to be," Lansdale said. "It's safe here."
The center prevents environmental hazards; it has a sealed floor, absorbent material for spills, an eye wash station, safety equipment and fire extinguishers.
It also provides a place where units and community members can drop off or pick up excess toner, lubricants, batteries, adhesives, fuel, paint or acid.
"It saves money [and] reduces waste," Lansdale said.
Single items dropped off by moving families -- such as a bottle of glass cleaner -- can be picked up by individuals. These items are not tracked.
However, excess supplies ordered by tenant units, which can only be reused by other units, are tracked in the worldwide Hazardous Material Management System.
Based on their prices when they were first issued, items given to other units to be reused (free of charge) saved the garrison $39,667 over the past eight months, or about $5,000 per month, according to Lansdale.
Paul Manu, a civilian in charge of cleaning the kitchens at the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Dining Facility on Panzer Kaserne, said the reuse center has helped him accomplish his mission.
Due to fiscal constraints, it isn't always possible to buy every product he would like, Manu said, but since other units send their excess cleaning supplies to the reuse center, he can usually get what he needs there.
"If they don't need it, we can go for it," he said. "It helps us a lot."
Lansdale encouraged units that have not already done so to check out the reuse center and add to the savings.
"Before [units] start to order things, they should really come here ... and save the government a lot of money," Lansdale said.
The reuse center is not only friendly to the economy; it is good for the environment, as well.
When community members leave their supplies at the reuse center, those that are expired or contaminated will be disposed of properly, Lansdale said.
He personally takes unusable materials to the Hazardous Waste Collection Point, across the street.
Normally, individuals would need to make an appointment with the installation coordinator to dispose of hazardous waste.
It's just one way the reuse center is "saving the world," Lansdale said.
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