The new recycling center aboard Marine Corps Air Station
Iwakuni, Japan is one step closer to opening now that the keys are in the hands
of installation managers.
The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Japan District’s Iwakuni Resident Office turned the
keys over to the Facilities Department on January 20.
Construction
on the new, 22,280 square-foot, recycling center on Leatherneck Drive began in
September of 2014.
Noriyuki Mizuta, general engineer,
Iwakuni Resident Office, Japan Engineer District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
said the new single-story building will include a paper baler machine, paper shredder,
can crusher, and 50-ton truck scale – all protected by a new security barrier.
Mizuta said the most challenging part about
this project was making sure everything would fit.
“I had to pay close attention to
the work relating to installation of U.S. made equipment and machines,” Mizuta
said.
He said
he was glad he got to engineer the new recycling center.
“The project is important due to
the projected base population increases. The existing recycling center will not
be able to handle the increased capacity in solid waste and recyclables,”
Mizuta said.
Ryan Leming, Solid Waste supervisor,
has been working at the old recycling center on post for 14 years.
Leming
said he is planning to move in to the new location in April and start
operations in May.
“I am looking forward to having the
ability to secure the facility which will allow us to closely track what we
receive,” Leming said. “We currently share a facility with Marine Corps
Community Services maintenance division and although we have developed and
maintained a great working relationship between the two operations throughout;
the need for security is vital to our success.”
But having a recycling center that
he can secure isn’t the only thing Leming said he is looking forward to.
“It will be nice to not have to
share one toilet stall with 20 other guys,” he said.
Another
advantage to the new facility will be what materials the center will be able to
recycle. The old recycling center accepts clean paper material and metal items.
“The plan for the new facility is
that it will be able to eventually include glass recycling, wood chipping and
maybe even food waste processing,” Leming said.