The White Falcon - 26.10.1990, Qupperneq 1

Empty beverage containers are crushed into bales at the Endurvinnslan, Ltd., recycling company in Reyjkavik. (Photo by PH2 Ron Woxland)
Return deposit of 10 cents per
By JOC Terry Barnthouse and CDR Charles Allen
When you throw away an empty beverage bottle or can, you will be
literally throwing away money.
Beginning today, a return deposit of 10 cents per bottle or can will
be added to the cost of all carbonated beverages. This cost applies
to drinks (soda and beer) purchased from base vending machines; at
the Mini-Mart, clubs and from some of other base recreational facili-
ties.
The 10 cent deposit per can and bottle is completely refundable.
All you have to do is collect your empty containers and turn them in.
The Navy Resale Activity (NRA) will manage the base’s deposit/
redemption recycling program.
The recycling center is located at Bldg. 890, where the NRA main
offices are located. The center will open for the first time on Tuesday
at 4 p.m. and its normal hours of operations will be: Tuesday - Friday
from4-7p.m. and Saturdays from 10a.m.-2p.m. Empty metal,'glass
and plastic beverage containers are the only types of containers
accepted at the recycling center. Containers purchased on the Ice-
landic economy will also be accepted. Empty food containers are not
wceptcd. At the time of tum-in, the cans and bottles will be counted
Ayou will receive cash-in-hand. . . a refund of 10 cents per can or
Pie.
In August 1989, Iceland began a mandatory recycling program for
metal, glass and plastic beverage containers. The return deposit on the
Icelandic economy is 6 Kr per container, which is roughly equivalent
to the 10 cent return deposit on base. The program has been extremely
successful with a tum-in rate of about 74 percent that has helped clean
up the Iceland's landscape, highways and waterways.
beverage container begins today
The U. S. has long supported recycling efforts, and the base has been
searching for an effective way to recycle beverage containers. Because
our international agreements govern the U. S. defense presence in
Iceland, the Icelandic recycling law does not apply to us in the same
way that it does to Icelandic distributors.
However, under U. S. law and presidential policy, we support host
nation environmental standards. As Secretary of Defense Richard B.
Cheney has stated: “This administration wants the U. S. to be the world
leader in addressing environmental problems and I want the Depart-
ment of Defense to be the federal leader in agency environmental com-
pliance and protection.”
As alternatives for our base plan were considered, we learned that
there is no market for recycled beverage container materials in Iceland
as there is in many places in the U. S. We could not merely collect no-
deposit containers and sell them to a reclamation company as could be
done in many industrial areas in the U. S. In Iceland, as in many U. S.
states, the only way to ensure that containers are recycled is to fund a
comprehensive program with deposits. Therefore, the Navy Exchange
RETURN DEPOSIT CONTINUED ON PAGE 12...
Inside this issue:
Royal Marines Band visit.....Page 3
Christmas Mailing dates......Page 4
Halloween Safety Tips.........Page 7