Recycling & Renewables Rap : Alaska Waste recycles 7,225 pounds of city’s litter

Recycling & Renewables Rap

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.

Contributors

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Jeanne Carlson

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.

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Mary Fisher

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.

Local recyclers

Cooking oil recycling

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.

Total Reclaim

Provides recycling and management services for computers, electronics, refrigeration equipment, lighting and appliances.

Alaska Conservation Solutions

Founded in 2005 to give voice to the pervasive consequences of global warming in Alaska while pursuing solutions.

Muni Solid Waste Services

Where in the city to recycle electronics, dispose of waste oil or automobile batteries.

ALPAR

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.

Alaska Metal Recycling

This is the largest metal recycling facility in the state, paying for ferrous and non-ferrous metal

Green Star

Green Star is a non-profit organization that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention.

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Alaska Waste recycles 7,225 pounds of city’s litter

Posted by recycle

Posted: June 1, 2009 - 9:07 am

Waste SortThis year, Alaska Waste took a new approach with the litter picked up by Anchorage volunteers during Citywide Clean-Up. They brought 16 tons of the Anchorage Chamber's orange litter bags back to their facility and conducted a waste sort in order to separate out the recyclable materials and ascertain how much could be diverted away from the landfill.

7,225 pounds of paper, cardboard, plastic, bottles, cans, scrap metal, wood waste and other materials were pulled from the waste stream and recycled. That's 22.5 percent of the total. “Our desire is to find creative solutions to sort recyclables from the litter collected during the city’s clean up effort. The first step toward this solution is to understand the potential,” said Katy Suddock, Recycling Coordinator at Alaska Waste. It took eight laborers two days to sort through the pile. “It was a messy job, but it’s great to know that these recyclables won’t end up in the landfill,” said Suddock. For more pictures visit www.alaskawaste.com.