Laughlin AFB recycling center generates revenue for base

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ashley Wolfe
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  Officials with the recycling center here take all the recyclable materials that are dropped off at their door and compact them, thereby generating revenue that helps the base.

Annually, the center recycles around 90 to 95 tons of material, which is turned into $8,000 to $9,000 that base officials can use for other projects.

Money is not the only resource saved by the center.

"All the trees, kilowatts of electricity and all the water we save equals to thousands of dollars of savings," said Oscar Ozuna, the Laughlin Air Force Base recycling center project manager.

The center is also about giving back to the community.

Goodwill Industries, the contracted company for the recycling center, provides jobs for less-fortunate and disabled people.

Goodwill's motto is "Change lives through the power of work."

The power of the recycling center's work is of such magnitude that for the past eight years, including 2010, they have been recognized with the Cooperative Teamwork and Recycle Association's rating of an "outstanding" recycling center. 

The entire mission of the Laughlin AFB recycling center is accomplished with three employees.

Oscar Ozuna, Rolando Deleon and George Ramirez have a combined total of 35 years experience at the recycling center. Together they process most of Laughlin AFB's recycling, and save the base resources and money.

The reason the center is so successful is because of the experience of the workers, Mr. Ozuna said.

Simply, they know what they are doing, he said.

Laughlin's recycling center workers are not only proficient, but incredibly safe at what they do, Mr. Ozuna said.

"I'm proud of what we do," he said. "We've never had even a minor accident because we practice safety."