Warren receives recycling award at White House Published April 30, 2007 By 2nd Lt. Lisa Meiman 90th Space Wing Public Affairs F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. -- Warren is the large facility, west region, military winner for the 2007 Electronics, Reuse and Recycling Award presented at the Eisenhower Executive Office building in Washington, D.C., April 17. Warren recycled 26,767 pounds of personal and official electronic equipment during the electronics reuse and recycling campaign from Nov. 15, America Recycles Day, to March 15. The competition was judged on the weight of the electronics turned in, both official and personal. The numbers were submitted to the federal electronics challenge, and winners validated their numbers with written records. Warren is the only Air Force installation in the country that won. Warren competed with every military installation in Environmental Protection Agency regions 8, 9 and 10, an area that encompasses 12 western states. Angus MacKelvey, 90th Civil Engineering Squadron storage tank program manager, attributed a lot of credit to the 90th Communications Squadron and Chuck Jelinski, 90th CS equipment control officer. Mr. Jelinski and the 90th CS recycled 21,997 pounds of electronic equipment, or 82 percent, of Warren's recycled amount. Mr. MacKelvey said Mr. Jelinski keeps written records of all electronics turned in to be recycled at Warren. "If it wasn't for his diligence, we wouldn't have been in contention for the award," Mr. MacKelvey said. Mr. Jelinski is in charge of all information technology commodities at Warren. IT purchases are coordinated through Mr. Jelinski, and he tracks those purchases throughout their life cycle until they are disposed. "I'm the single point of contact for turn-in of government IT commodities," Mr. Jelinski said. When Mr. Jelinski sends computers and other electronics to Fort Carson, he keeps copies of all paperwork. He said he has five years worth of documentation because he keeps a paper trail for everything. This ensures he has written records proving how much Warren recycles electronic goods for audits and the campaign. "By doing his job, he's integrating environmental aspects into accomplishing his mission," Mr. MacKelvey said. In one month, usually more than 2,000 pounds are turned in for disposal, Mr. Jelinski said. "We set the threshold, and we'd like to continue on and remain competitive," he said. Personal turn-ins added 4,770 pounds to Warren's competitive weight. A recycle bin for household electronics is located at the Warren recycle center near Bldg. 781. Only electronics recycled in the 4-month competition period counted for the award but Warren Airmen can recycle computers, printers, faxes, TVs, vacuums, stereo systems and any other electronic equipment year round. There are multiple hazardous or precious materials, such as lead, mercury and sometimes gold, in electronics that need to be taken out before the shell is thrown away. "Recycling is a serious issue, and we like to make sure we do our part in recycling," Mr. Jelinski said. "When everyone contributes, everyone wins."