Case Study: New Composting Program Boosts
Waste Diversion
The U.S. Navy's Naval Station Great Lakes, near Waukegan, Illinois,
increased its amount of materials recycled by an astounding 114
percent by initiating a campaign to add a composting component,
reuse construction and demolition debris, and increase the number
of collection bins available throughout the installation. The
composting project alone amounted to more than 300 tons of food
scrap and landscape waste diverted from area landfills.
NSGL took an aggressive and multi-faceted approach to raising its
diversion rate. Active participation of employees and trainees to
maximize collection and minimize contamination of recyclables by
trash was critical. NSGL worked to carefully tailor its communication
to a military audience, educating on the importance of recycling as
it related to domestic and foreign policy. In addition, NSGL asked
their recycling and composting vendors to track and report tonnage
of material produced at each collection point. This encouraged a
friendly competition for increasing recycling and food waste
tonnage collected among areas of the facility. Along with collecting
food waste for composting from the five galleys (cafeterias), NSGL
switched to using biodegradable plates, cutlery and napkins to
further reduce materials sent to a landfill.
Naval Station Great Lakes — "The Quarterdeck of the Navy."
Sustainable Materials Management
Federal Green Challenge
Key Topics
• Food waste composting.
• Recycling.
Results
• 114 percent increase in
materials recycled.
• Initiation of new food
composting program.
• 300 tons of food scrap
and landscape waste
composted.
Facility at a Glance
• The Navy's largest training
station, located on 1,600
acres in north suburban
Chicago.
• A small city with galleys, gas
stations, a harbor and public
works department.
• 20,000 to 30,000 military
and civilian personnel on the
station at any time.
• Participant since 2011 in the
FGC waste, transportation
and water categories.
• Recipient of EPA Region 5
FGC Award: Waste.
CHANGING HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR RESOURCES FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
www.epa.gov/smm
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Waste Diversion Boosted
Garnering the support of Navy's senior officers and
managers was crucial to the success of the
recycling and composting programs. The
commanding officer is provided quarterly status
reports with tonnages of material recycled at each
collection point. With high-level support for the
materials management program established early,
the changes were more easily integrated through
the chain of command.
NSGL sustainability team from left to right: Peter
Behrens, Paul Stoick, MarkSchultz, Matthew
Wollert, Sr., Matthew Wollert, Jr., Norm Lucas,
Robert Walleck, Robert VanBendegom, Cora
Mata, Mark Hoyer.
NSGL faced numerous challenges in the
implementation of its new programs, the largest
being financing the composting program. While the
recycling program is self-funded through the sale of
recyclable material, the market for composted
materials is inconsistent and must be closely
monitored. By working with its composting vendor,
NSGL was able to reduce the cost of compost
collection to the price of trucking materials from the
site.
Why is Composting Waste Important?
Compost has the ability to help regenerate poor soils. The
composting process encourages the production of
beneficial micro-organisms (mainly bacteria and fungi)
which in turn break down organic matter (food and
landscape wastes) to create humus. Humus—a rich
nutrient-filled material—increases the nutrient content in
soils and helps soils retain moisture. Compost has also
been shown to suppress plant diseases and pests,
reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers,
and promote higher yields of agricultural crops.
About the Federal Green Challenge
The Federal Green Challenge, part of EPA's Sustainable Materials
Management Program, is designed to challenge federal agencies
throughout the country to lead by example in reducing the federal
government's environmental impact. It helps agencies meet obligations
under Executive Orders 13514 and 13423.
In 2012, nearly 300 federal agencies, representing more than 500,000
employees participated in the Federal Green Challenge. Their combined
efforts resulted in an estimated cost savings of more than $31 million to
U.S. taxpayers.
For More
Information
U.S. Navy NSGL contact:
Matt Wollert
847-688-6934, Ext. 11
matthew.wollert@navy.mil
Federal Green Challenge:
http://epa.gov/fgc
Region 5, Land and Chemicals Division, Materials Management Branch
EPA-905-F-14-009
February 2014
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