Once again, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has been recognized as a leader in waste reduction and recycling by the Keep America Beautiful awards program.

In the course of 17 years, Navy Whidbey Recycle has been acknowledged 13 times, including five first place awards (2007, 2004, 2001, 1997 and 1993).

With a total of 92 entries into the 2007 competition, more than a third were from government agencies and just one award was given to a military organization.

Navy Whidbey Recycle took first place in the 2007 competition, receiving top honors in the category of Waste Reduction (Government Agency).

Grace Keegan Massinello, program manager, Affiliate Communications, Keep America Beautiful, Inc., said in a message to the 2007 winners, “Every program or project entered in this awards competition is another show of commitment to improving community environments and a further push to keep America beautiful. In that sense, everyone is a winner.”

A year-round calendar of events, services and educational opportunities has culminated in the highest recycle rate ever for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island during fiscal year 2007.

Statistically speaking, Navy Whidbey Recycle has come a long way from the 4 percent rate of recycling in 1990 to the current rate of 79.2 percent.

Today, we only put about 20 percent of all post-user materials into containers that wind up at landfills, way down from the 1990 rate of 96 percent of all solid waste finding its way to the trash!

The Navy Whidbey Recycle competition package highlighted three primary methods for education and outreach. The first involved educational briefings (tours, information fairs and displays); the second, special activities or programs (youth games and contests, Christmas tree chipping, spring cleaning opportunities); and third, focused on special events, such as composting at the Whidbey Island Marathon, Earth Month and the Great American Backyard Campout, a mostly waste-free event.

“This award is a direct result of the team Whidbey spirit. Our ultimate goal is zero waste, so that one day nothing is passed along to landfills,” said Paul Brewer, solid waste program manager at NAS Whidbey Island. “Everything we use in our daily lives will be recycled or reused some way or another. I believe it can be done. We need everyone’s help and commitment to the preservation of our environment and natural resources.”

Want to know more about how to recycle at NAS Whidbey, call (360) 257-5481 or stop by the Recycling Center on Langley Boulevard during business hours. Navy Whidbey Recycle is open weekdays from 8 .m. to 6 p.m. (except federal holidays) and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.