(BOP) - In 2015, FCI Marianna prevented nearly 8 million pounds of materials from being sent to the landfill by using its recycling program run by Federal Prison Industries (also known as UNICOR). Inmates at the Florida institution were able to successfully recycle nearly 94 percent of the materials received into the program that may have otherwise been sent to nearby landfills.
The UNICOR program recycles electronics, cardboard, aluminum and many other metals. Female inmates at the adjacent minimum security satellite camp sort through most incoming shipments first; however, some shipments are sent directly to the male inmates at the FCI. During the separating process, inmates remove all recyclable materials, such as wiring, mother boards, plastic, gold, and copper. The materials are then sorted by type, and sent out to vendors who have purchased the recyclables from UNICOR. Materials which cannot be recycled are then sent to the landfill.
In this age of diminishing resources, tight budgets, and environmental concerns, staff and inmates in FCI Marianna's recycling program are working together to reduce the amount of material sent to landfills and to improve the world we live in.