Earth Day and beyond

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Lou Burton
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Earth Day was founded to bring a level of consciousness for better care of our limited resources on earth. Homestead Air Reserve Base has taken this ideal into practice, and not dedicated to only one specific day; the recycling center is paving the way for a greener base every day.

Homestead ARB is testing an In-Vessel Aerobic Compost Machine from the South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District. The Environmental Protection Agency is funding the project with grants.

"This machine takes all consumable waste on base and processes it down to compost we can use on base," said Mr. Tim Driscoll, 482nd Environmental Flight environmental protection specialist.

According to Driscoll, the process is very simple.  Raw material is added in the top where it is grinded, mixed and sent to a hopper. The hopper slowly turns the material at a rate of two hours per rotation. Through vents within the chamber, air is added automatically. 

After five days, 90 gallons of food waste, branches and leaves have reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit and turned into usable compost.

"Testing this machine is helping us save money and cut down on waste. Not only do we spend money for daily trash pickups, but we pay for compost as well," Driscoll said.  "Last fiscal year we returned $30,000 to the base from our recycling programs."

"Mathematically the machine could pay for itself within a year and a half. It is in the early stages of testing, but I would love to have this machine by next fiscal year. It would definitely save the base money and help the environment," Driscoll added.

The benefits of recycling are undeniable.  Not only does it have long lasting effects for the base, it has financial implications as well.