New baler reduces cost, time to improve AEDC's recycling capability

Published March 24, 2011
By Philip Lorenz III
AEDC/PA

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- The Mission Support Division here acquired a new major asset last summer -- a state-of-the-art baler that will process approximately 2,000 pounds of recyclable materials, including paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, every 20 minutes.

Robbie Evans, the base services lead at Arnold's recycling center, said the previous baler was manually operated and outdated.

"The baler we had was 12 years old and was inadequate for today's times," he said. "It [baled] about 1,500 pounds every 45 minutes.

"This new one will dramatically increase our productivity," he continued. "It [also] has a misting system which is going to be able to cut down on the dust and particles in the building."

The new baler, made by International Baler, has computer numerical controls, which includes a touchscreen monitor that allows the operator to program the machine to vary the bale size. A shredding feature has also been added that will increase the capabilities of the recycling shop.

"[Additionally] it's got a shutoff [sensor] in case one of the bales is not removed in time," Mr. Evans said. "It's got an auto feed table, low oil, high temp and jam sensors."

According to Rick Ferrebee the baler is a force multiplier for AEDC's Resource Recovery and Recycling Program, or RRRP.

The program involves picking up recyclables from 225-plus buildings on AEDC's approximately 40,000 acres, including the Tennessee National Guard firing range, Gossick Leadership Center, Crockett's Cove, FamCamp and base housing.

Mr. Evans, the lead for the team tasked with the hands-on aspect of the RRRP, said safety is always the first consideration during all aspects of its work.

On an average day, Mr. Evans said he and his crew collect 31 pounds of type 1 and 2 plastic, 1,800 pounds of cardboard and 500 pounds of mixed office paper from 62 large containers distributed around the buildings on base.

The portion of the current recycling program managed by base services collects and recycles 62 tons of paper, 202 tons of cardboard, 400 pounds of aluminum cans, 162 LaserJet cartridges, 2,170 toner cartridges and four tons of plastic annually, according to Jan Dent, Mission Support Division's acting deputy director of services.

She added that the responsibility for recycling still begins with anyone who puts trash into a container anywhere on base, especially where recycling bins are located. There are designated receptacles for every type of recyclable.

Mr. Evans said 200 paper bins and 128 cardboard bins are distributed and readily available in the base's 225-plus buildings. He is aware that some flexibility is necessary since the needs of the occupants can change, depending on the shift they work and the amount of recyclables generated.

Bin drop off and pick up can be arranged at any time by calling the recycling staff.