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Alaska State Fair Recycling
Green Star, Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS), and the Alaska State Fair wish to thank all of the individuals, groups, and sponsors who helped make recycling at this year's State Fair a reality. During the 12 days of the Fair, we collected more than 14.5 tons of recyclables or almost 10 40-cubic-yard roll-off containers of material.
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Corrugated Cardboard = 20,420 pounds
Aluminum Cans = 1,350 pounds
Glass Bottles = 6,000 pounds
Plastic Bottles = 1,308 pounds
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More importantly, we received numerous positive comments from everyone involved. During the Fair, several visitors from other fairs observed activities, evaluated the efforts, and provided suggestions for improvement. Almost exclusively they talked about the recycling program as a positive part of the Fair, and one visitor stated that he thought the recycling effort was the second best aspect of the fair, after the beautiful flowers.
“The biggest plus was how many people commented on the fact that they could see recycling in action,” said Pamella Troutman, Vendor and Exhibits Manager for the Alaska State Fair. “People saw volunteers pulling carts and collecting and sorting materials on the Fairgrounds, not just signs or banners that said there was recycling going on."
This year’s Fair recycling effort was the first comprehensive recycling program initiated at the Fair. An aluminum can recycling program was tried at the Fair several years ago and it provided a foundation on which to build this year’s program, including the numerous recycling bins and many lessons learned.
The program began during last year’s Fair with a waste assessment and discussion among Green Star, Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS), and the Alaska State Fair. All three groups agreed that recycling at the Fair would be a valuable addition and with some effort, it was a feasible project. Green Star and VCRS staff committed time and energy to the project and the Fair offered its full support, including staff time, supplies, and publicity. For the past year, the three groups met regularly, planning a strategy, identifying resources, and recruiting volunteers.
The final plan that evolved focused on collecting aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles, and corrugated cardboard for recycling. More than 150 recycling bins were placed throughout the Fairgrounds, concentrating on food and merchandise vendor areas and carnival areas where the most recyclables would be generated. Vendors also were educated about the program and asked to flatten and stack cardboard for recycling collection. Vendors were thrilled about the opportunity to recycle this year.
Clockwise from top left: Carts for collecting recyclables awaiting the first team of recycling volunteers; a pair of trash and recycling bins with Pioneer Peak in the background; Friends of Mat-Su decorates the carts for their volunteer shift; Wrex Diem and another volunteer sort bottles and cans in the Recycling Sorting Area; BP's volunteer crew gets ready to collect materials; and signs at each entrance gate let Fairgoers know that recycling has arrived at the Fair.
The key to the recycling program was the approximately 500 volunteers who helped to collect and sort material, as well as educate the public about recycling. Volunteers patrolled the fairgrounds pulling “Recycling Team” collection carts, each with a tall recycling flag and often decorated by the volunteer organization on duty. The volunteer teams removed bags of cans and bottles from recycling bins, checked trash bins for stray recyclables and salvaged many of them, and responded to vendor requests to take away cardboard boxes for recycling.
Back at the sorting area, located in the Orange parking lot, more volunteers removed caps and lids from all the bottles; poured out half-full bottles and cans; sorted them into glass, aluminum, and plastic; and loaded them into large collection dumpsters, while dodging the ever-present bees and wasps eager to get their share of the sticky soda and juice. They also flattened endless cardboard boxes, filling nearly seven 40-cubic-yard containers by the end of the Fair.
Wrex Diem, a volunteer himself, staffed the sorting area for much of the Fair, handing out gloves and instructions to each new team of volunteers. He sent teams of volunteers out, armed with bags, empty carts, and gloves, and watched them return with full carts, stories of thankful Fairgoers and vendors, and looks of determination on their faces. “Just one more bin – just one more stop to check for cardboard,” was the sentiment of many volunteers as the end of their shift neared. The enthusiasm was contagious.
“For the first concerted recycling effort at the Fair, it was unbelievably successful,” says Diem, of both the materials collection and the educational aspect of the recycling. “Many of the volunteers saw that their efforts were very rewarding not only in terms of recovery recyclables, but also presenting recycling to a bunch of people who may not have had the foggiest idea about what recycling was.”
~Thank You~
Green Star, VCRS, and the Alaska State Fair wish to thank the following sponsors who provided funding and/or supplies:
NAPCOR
(National Association of PET Container Resources)
BP
Smurfit-Stone Recycling Company
(Anchorage Recycling Center)
Anchorage Refuse (A Waste Management Company)
ALPAR (Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling)
Pepsi Cola Bottling Group
Coca-Cola Bottling of Alaska
Anchorage Daily News
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Great Harvest Bread Company
Save U More
D&A Shop Rite
Bagels Alaska
Fred Meyer
Stellar Designs
Mat-Su Borough
Thank you to the following organizations, each of which provided a team of volunteers:
AIC Clinic
Alaska Center for the Environment
Alaska Job Corps
Alaska Youth for Environmental Action
Americorps
Anchor Park United Methodist Church
Arc of Anchorage
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Boy Scout Troop #176
BP
Cadet and Senior Girl Scouts of the Mat-Su Council
CH2M Hill
Chickaloon Traditional Council
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - Wasilla
Corporate Express
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Friends of Mat-Su
Girl Scout Troop # 374
Heritage Christian School
I.B.E.W. and Unions
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
Mat-Su Boys & Girls Club
Mat-Su Employees Association
Matanuska Telephone Association
MWH Inc.
Palmer Kiwanis Club
Palmer Rotoract
Palmer Rotary Club
Phillips Alaska, Inc.
State of Alaska – Maternal, Child, and Family Health
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wasilla Rotary Club
And finally, a big thank you to all of the individual volunteers who helped recycle, rain or shine. These people are too numerous to list but we want each of them to know their efforts were recognized and appreciated.
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