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Custodial cuts create cleaning chores

  • Published
  • By Mike Spaits
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  With more than a $6 Million shortfall in the 2011 Base Operating Support budget, changes on Eglin were inevitable. Now, all of Team Eglin will pitch in to take out the trash.

Three major contracts have been either eliminated or drastically reduced, including the building custodial contract, the mail delivery contract and the grounds maintenance contract.

Of those cuts, the one most likely to impact the majority of Eglin employees on a day-to-day basis will be the building custodial contract. The result of reductions to that service has eliminated trash pick-up and floor maintenance, and reduced bathroom cleaning services to twice per week.

Many people are accustomed to seeing the various custodial contractors emptying base employees' personal trash at their desk, as well as periodic vacuuming services and other general maintenance around the offices. Those services are no longer, and will now be accomplished by Eglin employees.

"This is not a decision that was made lightly, but one I'm confident we as Team Eglin can manage," said Col. Sal Nodjomian, 96th Air Base Wing commander.  "All members of Team Eglin will be required to participate in this effort. There's not a single person I know on Eglin that doesn't take his or her own trash out at home, so this isn't that big a departure from what we all do on a daily basis."

In addition to taking out personal trash, employees will periodically vacuum their personal work areas as well as common areas such as break rooms as needed.

Barbaraann Casanova, 96th Civil Engineer Group, supervisor of service contracts, said base employees should use the closest, available brown refuse dumpster, but ensure the receptacle being used is designated for trash as some dumpsters are reserved for other items, such as recyclable materials.

"Green dumpsters are for cardboard only and the recycling receptacles, the cubes inside base buildings, and the commissary parking area are also designated for recycling only," said Ms. Casanova. "We need to take care of our work areas like we would our homes. This is also a great opportunity to put more of a focus on recycling."

According to Mike Vannoy, Eglin Qualified Recycling Program manager, more than 30 percent of the trash that leaves Eglin is in the form of recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard and the most valuable of all, aluminum cans. In fact, over 1,800 tons of material that Eglin throws away in the trash annually is material that can be recycled. This is nearly as much tonnage as our recycling center processes per year.

"The recyclable material that gets thrown away on Eglin equates to approximately $400,000 in a combination of missed sales revenue and out pocket cost to dispose. That's money that could be going to quality of life programs on Eglin," said Mr. Vannoy.

Air Force regulations require profits generated from the Recycling program goes right back to the base in the form of community parks like Unity Park, or new running tracks, gazebos, nature trails and more.

"Now that people are taking out their own trash, hopefully, they'll be more aware of what they're putting in the can and paying more attention to recycling - it's for their own benefit," said Mr. Vannoy.