FORT LEE, Va.— A few months after relocating to a larger facility, Fort Lee’s Recycling Center is doing more than giving residents a new place to recycle — it’s laying the groundwork for a stronger, more sustainable installation.

Since moving in April to7011 Quartermaster Road, across from the Temporary Military Personnel fueling station, the Recycling Center has expanded its ability to serve Soldiers, families, civilian employees and organizations while positioning itself for future growth.

The additional space has improved traffic flow, created room for new recycling operations and supports Fort Lee’s long-term goal of capturing more recyclable materials before they reach local landfills.

But behind every load of cardboard, scrap metal or household recyclables is a story many people never see.

Every recycled item has the potential to become something new — not only as a recycled product, but as an investment back into Fort Lee.

“We’re not just collecting recyclables,” said Chabinath G. Maharaj, Directorate of Public Works recycling and outreach manager. “We’re taking materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill and turning them into opportunities that benefit the entire installation.”

OpenMonday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Recycling Center accepts single-stream recyclables, cardboard, wood and scrap metal generated on Fort Lee. On an average day, about 10 to 15 customers visit the facility, contributing to an effort that reaches far beyond the recycling yard.

One of the center’s most valuable recyclable materials is scrap metal, which generates revenue through the Army’s Qualified Recycling Program, or QRP. The program allows Army installations to sell eligible recyclable materials and reinvest the proceeds into projects that support environmental stewardship, health and safety, energy conservation and morale initiatives. Army guidance identifies Qualified Recycling Programs as an important part of conserving resources, reducing disposal costs and strengthening installation sustainability.

Each year, units and organizations across Fort Lee can submit proposals for QRP funding.

Previous projects have included pond aerators at Cardinal Golf Course to improve water circulation and reduce algae growth, along with workplace safety improvements such as new concrete pads that enhance daily operations.

“We don’t choose the projects,” Maharaj said. “Units tell us what they need. If it supports environmental initiatives, health and safety or morale, we evaluate it and vote on it. It’s a way to take something people might think of as trash and turn it into something that improves the installation.”

Maharaj said one of his biggest goals is making more people aware that the program exists.

“I bring it up every time I visit a unit,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize these funds are available. If you have an idea that benefits Fort Lee, we’d love to hear it.”

The relocation has also opened the door for the next phase of the installation’s recycling efforts.

Officials are developing a Material Recycling Facility that will eventually allow recyclable materials to be processed on site instead of being shipped loose to vendors. The first phase will focus on baling cardboard, followed by white paper and, eventually, high and low-density plastics.

By compressing recyclable materials into dense bales, Fort Lee expects to significantly increase their market value while reducing transportation costs, creating additional revenue that can be reinvested into future installation projects said Maharaj.

“It’s really about building a better recycling program,” Maharaj said. “The more materials we recover, the more we can keep out of landfills while creating opportunities to reinvest in Fort Lee.”

The effort extends beyond recycling.

When usable furniture, office equipment and other excess property can no longer be used by one organization, installation officials work to redistribute those items across Fort Lee before pursuing authorized donations to local schools, nonprofit organizations and community partners.

“It’s about finding another life for these materials,” Maharaj said. “If someone else can use them, that’s a better outcome than throwing them away.”

The initiative supports the Department of Defense’s Integrated Solid Waste Management strategy, which encourages installations to maximize recycling, reduce landfill waste and increase diversion of reusable materials. Current Department of Defense objectives call for diverting at least 40% of nonhazardous solid waste from landfills while continuing to reduce overall waste generation.

To maintain accurate diversion reporting, the Recycling Center accepts only materials generated on Fort Lee. Customers must present valid installation identification, describe the materials being recycled and identify where they originated. The facility is monitored by 24-hour video surveillance.

For Maharaj, however, the success of the Recycling Center isn’t measured only by the tons of material collected.

“Every box, every piece of metal and every load of recyclables that comes through these gates is helping make Fort Lee a little stronger,” he said. “Recycling doesn’t end when someone drops something off—it comes back to benefit the entire community.”

If you are a unit or organization on Fort Lee and would like to submit a proposal for the Army’s Qualified Recycling Program, please contact Chabinath G. Maharaj at: chabinath.g.maharaj.ctr@army.mil