The Air Force has a new mascot to help its recycling awareness campaign and fight against solid waste.

CHUCK-IT, the recycling mascot, targets children between the ages of 5 and 12 and is the latest addition to the "Win the War Against Waste" tool kit -- an outreach campaign developed to support the Air Force's worldwide environmental objectives for solid waste management.

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently developed animated CHUCK-IT public service announcements, posters and a sticker -- all available for Air Force installations to download and use locally.

The CHUCK-IT mascot targets children but has appeal for those of all ages, said Nancy Carper, AFCEC's integrated solid waste management specialist.

"Children often get stuck taking out the trash and recycling, so CHUCK-IT brings some fun to this not-so-fun chore," she said.

The tool kit provides Air Force installations with outreach materials to help keep their campaigns fresh as they move toward achieving higher levels of waste diversion, Carper said.

In addition to the CHUCK-IT materials, the kit also includes the Air Force's full color recycling logo, magnet designs, banner designs, poster designs, newspaper articles and other video public service announcements.

The Win the War Against Waste program, started in 1999, continues Air Force efforts to exceed the Department of Defense strategic sustainability performance plan goal. The service is working toward diverting 55 percent of non-hazardous solid waste, not including construction and demolition waste, by 2015 and 65 percent by 2020, Carper said.

In addition to CHUCK-IT and the Win the War Against Waste campaign, Carper encourages Air Force-wide participation in November's America Recycles Day and suggests people check with their installation recycling manager for information on local America Recycles Day events or activities.

"We need to continue to educate all members of our Air Force family on how their efforts -- large or small -- can and do make a difference," Carper said.

"CHUCK -IT helps us reach a whole new demographic and help get children of all ages in the habit of recycling," she said.

For more information on Win the War Against Waste or CHUCK-IT, visit www.afcec.af.mil.