Photo By Brian Davis | 250131-N-NY993-1024 BREMERTON, Washington--Robert Rembiszewski (left) and Trevor...... read more read more
BREMERTON, Washington -- Implementing a clever idea from a NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound employee to recycle used carboard boxes into packing material not only saved the Navy money, it also made life a little easier for Sailors at sea.
A packing department employee at NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound (FLCPS) Strategic Systems Program (SSP) Supply Support Department (Code 502) at Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor, was attending a training course where various methods and machines used for packing and crating stock were demonstrated to the students. Amid all the equipment and procedures presented by the course instructors, what caught the employee’s attention was a shredding machine that turned scrap corrugated cardboard boxes into a flexible material that could be used for package cushioning.
For Code 502, the costs of using commercially produced packing materials such as plastic bubble wrap or fiber cushioning can add up quickly. The employee thought the Code 502 Packing & Crating Division could save money by obtaining its own shredder to create cushioning material for shipping parts and supplies from the warehouse to customers at sea.
SSP Supply Support Department leadership saw the possibilities and procured a shredder. Once the device was up and running, it provided multiple benefits to the command as well as to customers at sea.
“The shredder turns our used cardboard into free packing material . . . it lowers our cardboard removal and disposal fees, and reduces our need to purchase expensive packing materials,” said Steve Chmielewski, Director of the NAVSUP FLCPS SSP Supply Support Department.
The machine scores a sheet of cardboard and trims it to a uniform size, turning it into an 18” wide sheet of lightweight, flexible material with the ability to expand and contract like a net, which can be molded around an item or packed into a box, filling the empty space to stabilize the product being shipped. The material is light, pliable, and easy to work with, but dense enough to stabilize heavy objects such as large machine parts.
Packing parts with the cardboard material benefits the customer as well.
“Using recycled cardboard helps ships and submarines reduce the amount of plastic waste they have to deal with when they are underway,” said Chmielewski.
Handling shipboard waste at sea presents several challenges, particularly with plastics. While biodegradable material can be processed and disposed of at sea, plastics cannot.
The Navy’s Plastics Removal in the Marine Environment (PRIME) program was implemented to comply with U. S. Public Law and the Martine Pollution (MARPOL) Treaty that bans oceangoing vessels from disposing of plastics in the marine environment. Under PRIME guidance, all plastic waste is stored onboard to be removed for proper disposal when the vessel reaches port or during underway replenishment. PRIME guidance allows for certain materials such as paper, cardboard, and food waste to be pulped and discharged overboard as biodegradable waste.
Reducing the amount of plastic waste Sailors must deal with can make life at sea a little simpler, especially on a submarine. Although the practice of compressing plastic into 20-30 lb. disks for onboard storage is sanitary and much more efficient than storing loose, uncompressed trash, the disks occupy valuable and very limited space.
The cardboard recycling system caught the attention of an inspector during the command’s recent Inspector General inspection.
“The inspector saw the system during the 2024 IG and listed it as a recommendation to be shared with other sites,” said Cmdr. Gina Slaby, NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound Executive Officer.
The recycled cardboard packing system is an example of NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound’s leadership philosophy, according to Slaby.
“This was a suggestion from a civilian on the deckplates who saw an opportunity to use an innovative technology to save the Navy time and money. Implementation of these innovative products resulted in cost savings of $10,000 annually and decreased issue response times by 40% compared to prescribed standards. Overall, this was a huge success and a best practice throughout the enterprise,” she said.
NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound Aviation Supply Department (Code 420) also procured and installed a similar device, which is currently in use in the aviation supply warehouse at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
Chmielewski notes that cultivating an atmosphere of innovation where staff up and down the chain of command are encouraged to participate pays dividends.
“Leaders have encouraged input from the deck plate workforce, which has led to significant improvements in packaging methods, time management, and cost-saving practices. The decision to invest in new equipment directly stemmed from employee insights into how packaging could be streamlined. By listening to the team’s ideas and implementing them, leadership has created an atmosphere of collaboration and ownership within the team,” said Chmielewski.
“The leadership style at Code 502 is highly participative and inclusive. Leaders have shown a genuine interest in leveraging the experience and insights of the workforce, ensuring that the team’s valuable input is translated into actionable improvements. This approach not only drives operational excellence but also boosts morale, as employees see their ideas implemented and their expertise valued. This also creates a culture where innovation and continuous improvement are part of the team’s DNA, leading to a more responsive and effective organization,” said Chmielewski.
Encouraging employees to come up with ways to improve processes and listening to their ideas connects directly with the “Get Real Get Better” approach of empowering people from all levels to find and fix problems and innovate at their level.
“We tell everyone on day one when they arrive that leadership is one of our key foundational principles that lead to team success. That mindset is fundamental to our command’s mission, and it empowers our workforce to innovate, self-correct, and take ownership, which also aligns with the CNO’s Get Real Get Better Initiative,” said Slaby.
NAVSUP FLC Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor & family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://x.com/navsupsyscom.
For news and information about NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound, visit www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/flcps/ ,www.facebook.com/navsupflcps, or https://x.com/NAVSUP_FLCPS.
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2025 14:49 |
| Story ID: | 492922 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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