With a total population of over 142,000 on 151,000 acres, Camp Lejeune is
presented with waste reduction challenges comparable to those of a large city. The
Base is an environmental leader within the Department of Defense and has
received numerous awards for the programs implemented to date.
P2 Application:
Camp Lejeune conducts an extensive range of waste reduction programs to comply
with current federal and state environmental laws. Numerous successful waste
reduction programs resulted:
Many traditional solvents have been replaced with non-hazardous,
biodegradable solvents such as Mira-Chem, Citrachem, and Simple Green for
product degreasing. Also, solvent distillation units are now used during
painting operations to recycle spent solvents.
Silver generated in Base photo shops and X-ray and dental offices is reclaimed
by silver recovery units; thus, none of this metal reaches the wastewater
treatment facilities. Forty participating sites generated 740 pounds of silver
recovery cartridges and passive cells during 1994.
Old asphalt is now recycled and constitutes up to 15 percent of all new asphalt
pavement installed at the Base. In 1994, this formula was used for repaving a
runway; during that year, 19,666 tons were laid, of which 2,950 tons were
recycled asphalt.
Many items previously disposed in municipal waste landfills, i.e., yard and food
waste, mixed paper, and biomass ash, are now utilized in the Base pilot
composting project. This compost is used as a soil amendment on Base.
Extensive Base-wide recycling programs now include cardboard, paper, metals,
rags, aluminum cans, glass, plastics, tires, rubber, fats, grease, spent aerosol
cans, laser toner cartridges, wood and yard waste, lead acid batteries, anti-freeze,
used oils and lubricants.
Total Cost Savings: $1,330,441.00
Comments: Estimated savings from reductions in landfill tipping fees for solid waste and
hazardous waste disposal costs for 1994 were $1.3 million.
Details of Reductions
11,985.0 - Tons of
Solid Waste
342.0 - Tons of
Batteries (wet cell)
Precious metals (silver)
1.0 - Tons of
Solvent distillation
162.0 - Tons of
Used solvents
77.0 - Tons of
Used anti-freeze
441.0 - Tons of
Used oil/fuel
Additional Information :
The wide-ranging waste reduction, composting, and recycling programs reduced the
quantity of solid waste generated at the Base by 34 percent between 1990 and
1994. In 1994 alone, the waste reduction programs prevented the disposal of over
13,000 tons of materials.
