This is the place for those who want to walk the talk on green living. Interested in the latest news on curbside recycling? Have a suggestion or idea about how to make Anchorage a greener community? Look no further than this recycling blog. Anchorage is moving fast to become a leader in protecting our environment, reducing climate change impacts, and hopefully saving money in the process. Join longtime Alaskans Nick Moe and Kevin Harun in sharing your latest thoughts on recycling and sustainability. You can reach them by email at recycleblog@adn.com.
BLOGGER
I am the recycling coordinator at the Municipality of Anchorage's Solid Waste Services. I also am program director at Green Star. My masters degree is in natural resources and behavior from the University of Michigan and I have worked in recycling around the country for 18 years.
BLOGGER
As executive director of ALPAR (Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling, I work on litter and recycle issues statewide. ALPAR is supported primarily through the business community. I have a marketing degree from Missouri State University.
Got used cooking oil? If you are a restaurant or large generator of used cooking oil, Alaska Mill and Feed will pick up your cooking oil and recycle it. For more information call 279-4519, press "option 3".
AHFC Research Information Center
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation provides a public and web accessible library on sustainability, sustainable development, energy efficiency, and green building.
Provides recycling and management services for computers, electronics, refrigeration equipment, lighting and appliances.
Founded in 2005 to give voice to the pervasive consequences of global warming in Alaska while pursuing solutions.
Where in the city to recycle electronics, dispose of waste oil or automobile batteries.
ALPAR is a privately funded, non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating litter and increasing economically-viable recycling in Alaska. ALPAR programs and services are made possible by the generous support of our member companies and other dedicated businesses and organizations throughout Alaska.
This is the largest metal recycling facility in the state, paying for ferrous and non-ferrous metal
Green Star is a non-profit organization that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention.
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Wondering how and where to recycle your refrigerator, cell phone, computer, batteries? Ask here.
PIZZA BOXES - To Recycle or Not - 7/6/2010 9:19 am
Flying Cans Going Strong in Shageluk - 7/2/2010 10:56 am
ALPAR Launches New PET Plastic Bottle Recycling Program in Rural Alaska - 6/21/2010 2:22 pm
Change of Date for Alaska Waste Biodiesel Facility - 6/15/2010 11:08 am
Alaska Waste Opens a Biodiesel Facility - 6/14/2010 12:02 pm
Fairbanks Rcycling Center Wins Bin Grant from Coke & KAB - 6/3/2010 10:49 am
Save the Date: Plastic Garden Pot Recycling Aug. 21st - 5/20/2010 9:15 am
Green Camping Tips, the Alaska Way - 5/17/2010 7:46 am
ALPAR Presents Recycling & Litter Prevention Awards for 2009 - 5/7/2010 11:55 am
Recycling Corks! - 5/4/2010 6:19 am
Target Stores Now Offer Recycling - 4/26/2010 2:39 pm
It's Fun Being Green - Celebrate Earth Day this Saturday and Win! - 4/15/2010 2:28 pm
Spring/Summer A to Z Guide is in the Mail! - 4/7/2010 8:13 am
Composting This Summer - 4/5/2010 7:06 am
Company in Anchorage Has Ties to Origin of Recycling Symbol - 3/31/2010 2:41 pm
Earth Day Expo at the ASD Education Center - 3/29/2010 7:03 am
Need a Backyard Compost Bin? - 3/23/2010 2:18 pm
Energy efficiency program saves money at ASD - 3/17/2010 11:34 am
Shipping Companies Make Recycling Work in the Railbelt - 3/9/2010 10:42 am
Ahead of the Curve - 3/3/2010 3:40 pm
Degradable Plastics 101 - 2/26/2010 9:05 am
Begich Middle School Starts Composting! - 2/23/2010 8:07 am
JULY 6, 2010 - 9:19 AM
A common question that conscientious recyclers ask is whether or not pizza boxes are recyclable. They are, in and of themselves, recyclable. They are made of corrugated cardboard and can be easily recycled with other cardboard or mixed paper. The problem is their contents. In reality, most pizza boxes are not recyclable because of the grease and cheese left on the boxes.
JULY 2, 2010 - 10:56 AM
Recycling in Shageluk involves everyone from those who save the cans to those who load the airplanes and fly the aluminum cans back to Anchorage through the ALPAR Flying Cans Program.
Shageluk's youth helped with the work and after the big spring can stomp, they had a pizza party and watched the new release of Alice in Wonderland at the Teen Center.
JUNE 21, 2010 - 2:22 PM
Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR) in partnership with Northern Air Cargo, Ryan Air, PenAir, Bering Air, Frontier Flying Service and Grant Aviation has kicked off a new pilot program to recycle plastic bottles in rural Alaska.
Ten communities and their tribal councils, who have exemplary aluminum can recycling programs through ALPAR’s long-standing Flying Cans program, were chosen to participate in the pilot program for recycling #1 PET plastic bottles.
JUNE 15, 2010 - 11:08 AM
The new date for the grand opening is Thursday, June 17, at 1:30pm. See blog below for details.
JUNE 14, 2010 - 12:02 PM
Alaska Waste will be commissioning its biodiesel plant on Wednesday, June 16, at 1:30 p.m. at 6301 Rosewood Street in Anchorage.
It is the first commercially sized plant of its kind in the state. The plant is designed to produce approximately 250,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel per year, much of which will be used by Alaska Waste’s fleet of trucks.
JUNE 3, 2010 - 10:49 AM
Congratulations to the Fairbanks Rescue Mission Recycling Center! They were one of 82 organizations recently selected from a pool of 1700 applicants to receive a grant through the national Coca Cola and Keep America Beautiful Bin Grant program.
Grants were awarded for a diverse range of settings from 37 states, including 14 colleges and universities, 32 municipalities and other local government entities, 20 K-12 schools, 17 nonprofit organizations, and additional community groups and Native American tribes.
MAY 20, 2010 - 9:15 AM
Although plastic from gardening containers are one of the least valuable grades of plastics that can be recycled, it can be done on a limited basis. So, once again, Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling (ALPAR,) the Alaska Botanical Garden, Alaska Waste and Smurfit Stone Recycling will host a one day drop off for plastic garden containers on Saturday, August 21st from 10 am to 5 pm at the Alaska Botanical Garden parking lot.
MAY 17, 2010 - 7:46 AM
A friend sent me a link to an Earth 911 article about 8 Ways to Green Your Camping Trip. After reading them, I thought I'd do a quick modification for Alaska. Take a look at the original, then see how it REALLY should be done in Alaska.
MAY 7, 2010 - 11:55 AM
Dick Divelvess, Owner of Thermo-Kool of Alaska accepts ALPAR Board of Directors Award for Outstanding Service
On Thursday, April 29, ALPAR (Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling) recognized outstanding achievements in recycling and litter prevention in Alaska in 2009 at their annual awards banquet held at the historic Alaska Railroad Freight Shed. This year’s theme “Recycle, Reuse, Renovate!” celebrated the greening of the construction industry in Alaska.
MAY 4, 2010 - 6:19 AM
Yes, I will admit that Alaska does not exactly have a thriving wine production industry but, we do drink some wine so I thought this topic might be somewhat relevant. I've been noticing that other areas around the country have started campaigns to recycle wine corks. Since we can't, at the moment, recycle our wine bottles, maybe we can convince some of the local retailers to participate in the national Cork ReHarvest movement by collecting corks.
APRIL 26, 2010 - 2:39 PM
BUT DON'T GO RUNNING TO TARGET WITH YOUR RECYCLABLES! Target's new recycling program was introduced just in time for Earth Day and, according to local Target store managers, it is designed for the convenience of Target shoppers. That means, if you buy a Frappacino at the in-store Starbucks, yes, feel free to recycle your glass bottle in the bin near the store entrance. But don't show up with all the glass you've been storing up for the past year! You will not be welcomed with open arms.
APRIL 15, 2010 - 2:28 PM
Can you guess how many pounds a bale of recycled paper weighs? You could win a $100 gift card to Fred Meyer if your guess is the closest at the Earth Day Expo this Saturday afternoon. Join the Anchorage School District and the Recycling Community at an Earth Day Expo on April 17 from NOON to 3pm. The event will highlight and promote the Anchorage School District's recycling and energy
APRIL 7, 2010 - 8:13 AM
Be sure to watch your mailbox this week and next for the newest issue of MOA Solid Waste Services' "Anchorage to Zero Waste" Guide. There's information about the new set-up at the landfill that includes collection of additional recyclables as well as a new traffic pattern. The guide also has a big map of where all the recyclables we generate go. Read about "green" yard and gardening tips from Jeff Lowenfels and get the latest info from People Mover.
APRIL 5, 2010 - 7:06 AM
Evergreen Nursery & Garden Center will begin its summer season soon. Evergreen will be taking green waste at its 760 E. 120th Ave. location and the nursery sites all summer long, Monday through Saturday. Contact 344-2588 or visit http://alaskaevergreen.com for details.
Summer Rates:
$10.00 per pick-up load of grass
$10.00 per cubic yard of grass - commercial rate
$15.00 per cubic yard of manure
Evergreen also will have Certified USCC compost available for sale in May!
MARCH 31, 2010 - 2:41 PM
The recycling symbol is universally recognized but do you know where it came from? Believe it or not, a company here in Alaska has ties to its origins.
The three arrows of recycling were first created back around the very first Earth Day in April 1970. The Container Corporation of America, a paperboard company, was beginning to realize a growing environmental movement. This company is now Smurfit-Stone, which owns and operates Anchorage's recycling center!
MARCH 29, 2010 - 7:03 AM
Join the Anchorage School District and the Recycling Community at an Earth Day Expo on April 17 from noon to 3pm. The event will highlight and promote the Anchorage School District's recycling and energy
conservation efforts, as well as provide a public forum to learn about the available services and ongoing recycling efforts of the City, businesses and non-profits throughout Anchorage. And celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day!
MARCH 23, 2010 - 2:18 PM
Earth MachineThere are still a handful of compost bins left for purchase from last season. If you'd like an Earth Machine bin for your backyard for only $50, contact Total Reclaim at 561-0544. Supplies are running short so you may want to call before heading down to Total Reclaim.
The bins are 33" in diameter by 33" high. They weigh 15 lbs. and hold 10.5 cubic feet (about 70 gallons) of material. The bins come apart and the two halves stack inside each other for easy transport.
MARCH 17, 2010 - 11:34 AM
Here's a great example of small changes that add up to big savings. Following a successful pilot program, the Anchorage School District is expanding its energy conservation program to 27 schools across the district. Each school in this year’s program is above-average in their energy use per square foot as compared to other district schools.
MARCH 9, 2010 - 10:42 AM
Folks in the Railbelt who have recycled their waste over the past 25 years rarely think about the fact that the reason they enjoy free recycling services is that the shipping companies donate a large portion of the shipping of recyclables to markets in Seattle.
Last year over 23,000 tons of plastics, paper, cardboard and cans were shipped to lower 48 markets thanks to the generosity of Horizon Lines, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Lynden with help from the Alaska Railroad and Northland Services.
MARCH 3, 2010 - 3:40 PM
Did you know that, despite the setback of losing glass recycling in Anchorage, we're still ahead of the curve in some respects? Even in progressive, recycling-minded, mandatory-program communities on the east coast, plastic bags and film are not being recycled other than the grocery bag programs at local supermarkets. So don't take it for granted when you toss your bread bag or dry cleaner bag into your recycling bin!
REMEMBER, plastic bags and film need to be taken to the Anchorage Recycling Center -- they cannot be put in curbside recycling carts if you have curbside service.
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