NSGA Northwest is Keep Virginia Beautiful winner

NAVY WIRE SERVICE (NWS) - 3 December 1998 -
by JO2 Jim O'Donnell, NSGA Northwest Public Affairs
     CHESAPEAKE, Va. (NWS) -- Naval Security Group Activity
(NSGA) Northwest in Chesapeake, Va., is the Keep America
Beautiful and the Keep Virginia Beautiful Award winner in
the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Government Category.
     Members of the Northwest Recycling Program will receive
the Keep America Beautiful award during a ceremony in
Washington, D.C., Dec. 5.
     Virginia's Lieutenant Governor John Hager presented the
award to Northwest's Commanding Officer CAPT R.W. Jerome and
Northwest's Recycling Coordinator Sam Hardy.
     This is the second time NSGA Northwest has won this
award in the Keep Virginia Beautiful competition and the
first time winning the Keep America Beautiful Award.
     "Northwest's recycling program has been an official
program for almost 10 years," said Hardy. "Since its
inception [more than] 2,000,000 pounds of materials have
been recycled to date and [more than] 1,200 tons of possible
trash has been diverted from local landfills."
     The program, which started with a couple of aluminum
recycling baskets, has branched out since its beginning in
1990.
     "We've refined and expanded our program since then,"
said Hardy. "We've increased the number of paper and
aluminum recycling containers throughout the command as well
as placing "igloo" type recycling containers at strategic
recycling points around the command.
     "We also now include curb-side pick-up of aluminum
cans, cardboard, glass, newspapers and plastics for our base
housing residents, so they can get involved in the recycling
effort also."
     The recycling program was only one third of the
category for which Northwest was recognized. Its reuse and
reduce portions were also worthy of notice.
     "According to our purchasing official, Diane Broadway,
approximately 40 percent of the products we (the command)
buy are wholly recycled, contain post-consumer recycled
materials or are labeled "green" signifying low electrical
requirements," said Hardy.
     Northwest's Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Program takes
care of itself as well as saving the taxpayer's dollar.
     "Our operating expenses (recycling bags, recycling bins
and day to day work needs) in 1997 and this year to date,
have been approximately $3,000, and our revenues are
expected to exceed $35,000," said Hardy.
                            -USN-