E-News: Green Star's Electronic, Environmental Newsletter!

Green Star E-News Vol. 3, No. 4 April 12, 2002

Recognizing Alaska businesses committed to environmental responsibility..


In this issue:
* Shining Stars
* It's Earth Day!
* Dust Control In Parking Lots
* Stand Up and Be Recognized
* Eagle River Recycles
* Recycling Volunteers Needed for Alaska State Fair
* Site Visits Earn Their Keep
* Recycling 101: Wood Waste
* This Month's Hot Link: USEPA's Energy Star Small Business Program
* Thank You 2002 Sponsors



SHINING STARS

Green Star would like to welcome our newest members. The Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association (AWRTA) recently enrolled, going for both the Green Star and Air Quality Award. The U.S. Army at Fort Richardson also enrolled in the Air Quality Award program.

A big thank you also to our most recent supporter. Anchorage Refuse donated $2,500 to Green Star and its programs.

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IT’S EARTH DAY!

April 22nd is Earth Day. This year’s theme is “Protect our Home.” Whether you consider your home the entire planet or simply your house or your neighborhood, there are numerous things you can do to help protect them. You can start by simply being more aware of your actions and how they affect everything around you. Here are some activities celebrating Earth Day:

Saturday, April 20th, Earth Day on Town Square From noon until 5pm, Town Square (next to the Performing Arts Center) will be filled with booths, food, music, demonstrations, and displays. See a hybrid electric car, learn about recycling, discover ways that you can make a difference.

Sunday, April 21st, Earth Day at APU From noon until 4pm, on the APU campus, enjoy music, food, and lots of children’s activities.

Monday, April 22nd, Dine Out for Green Star Dine at Moose’s Tooth, Bear Tooth, or Humpy’s on Monday for lunch or dinner and part of the proceeds will go toward supporting the important programs Green Star offers to the community. Check our event calendar for updated information about additional restaurants that will join in supporting Green Star.

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DUST CONTROL IN PARKING LOTS

Now is the time of year to consider when and how your parking lot will be cleaned. As the snow and ice melt, they leave behind a winter’s worth of traction sand and gravel, which is tracked out onto roadways and eventually dispersed into the air by passing vehicles. To reduce dust in Anchorage, Green Star recommends cleaning your parking lots early and frequently. Follow these tips for keeping the dust down and you will have completed Standard #15 and be well on your way to earning a Green Star Air Quality Award!

- Use wet-sweeping methods. This means spraying before sweeping, or ensuring your contractor uses ample water.
- Sweep early and often, taking advantage of moisture from the melting snow to suppress dust.
- Never use leaf blowers or similar devices.
- Do not wash or hose debris into storm drains and catch basins -- they will become clogged, and many empty straight into streams, carrying pollutants and sediments that harm fish and other stream life.

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STAND UP AND BE RECOGNIZED

Be recognized publicly for achieving real dollar savings while helping to protect the environment through exemplary energy efficiency-apply for a USEPA Energy Star for Small Business Award today!

Energy Star for Small Business awards are conferred annually upon facilities (100,000 sq. ft. or less) that have chosen the most creative and energy-efficient methods of reducing energy costs. Read about winners from previous years including success stories about companies like your own.

Nominate your own business or another deserving business and send a copy of your nomination form to the Green Star office for additional local publicity. You may apply online for an award. The nomination form must be received by Earth Day, April 22. For more energy efficiency information, contact Green Star for a site assessment, or contact Energy Star at 1-888-STAR-YES or visit http://www.epa.gov/smallbiz/.

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EAGLE RIVER RECYCLES

For any of you who live or work in the Eagle River area, recycling will get a little easier this week. The first One Stop Recycling event will take place Saturday, April 13th from 10 am to 2 pm in the Eagle River Wal-Mart parking lot. These recycling events will take place every other month (even numbered months) on the second Saturday of the month from 10 til 2, so if you miss this one, save those recyclables for the next one on June 8th. Here’s what you can bring to the One Stop:

Newspapers
Magazines
Office paper
Mixed paper
Corrugated cardboard
Aluminum cans
Steel cans
Glass bottles and jars
#1 PET plastic bottles
#2 HDPE plastic bottles and jugs
Plastic bags

Visit the web sites below for more information about what materials are accepted in each category and how the materials should be prepared.

Citizens for Recycling Solutions
ALPAR
Green Star's Waste Reduction Guide (pdf)

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RECYCLING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ALASKA STATE FAIR

Wanted: Organizations, clubs, and businesses to adopt a day at the Alaska State Fair by supplying volunteers to collect and sort recyclables. Volunteers receive free parking and entry to the Fair, as well as refreshments. Volunteering organizations receive recognition for their strong community support of recycling. Contact in Anchorage: Jeanne Carlson, (907) 278-7839 or jeanne@greenstarinc.org. Contact in the Valley: Mollie Boyer, (907) 357-4765 or solutions@valleyrecycling.org.

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SITE VISITS EARN THEIR KEEP

Since Green Star’s Site Assessment program began, we have conducted about ten assessments. During our visits, Green Star staff have identified numerous ways that these businesses can improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and save money.

During our last three assessments, conducted for Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking, Alaska Airlines, and the Denali Commission, we identified savings in lighting totaling more than $5,000 per year. Each project offered a payback period of less than 6 months.

We also have found that most businesses currently recycle some white paper, but many are unaware that colored paper and envelopes also are included in “office paper.” In addition, most businesses are not collecting “mixed paper,” which includes glossy paper and paperboard items. Businesses have increased the amount of paper items they have diverted from their waste stream.

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RECYCLING 101: WOOD WASTE

This is the fifteenth in a series of articles about recycling in Anchorage. As the snow melts and yard work begins, brush, sticks, stumps, and old logs start to stack up. Wood waste also can take the form of construction and demolition debris, as well as wood pallets and crates. What can you do with all this wood?

The National Picture

In 1997, Americans generated 11.57 million tons of wood waste. This represents a little more than five percent of our total waste stream. About 5 percent of this wood waste was recovered for recycling.

Wood Waste in Anchorage

In 1997, Anchorage generated 15,784 tons of wood waste. About 50 tons were diverted or about 0.3 percent of what was generated.

How Do I Recycle Wood Waste?

The Anchorage Regional Compost Facility at Point Woronzof accepts certain wood items, including wood chips, trees, brush, and lumber, for a fee. You can drop off a pick-up truck full of wood chips for $10 or a large truckload of chips for $20. Trees, brush, and lumber can be dropped off for $6 for quantities under 200 pounds, or $60/ton for quantities over 200 pounds. No pressure treated wood please.

These materials are processed into wood chips, wood mulch, and compost. You can buy a trash bag of wood chips for a mere 50 cents or a yard of them for $7.50. If you’d like compost or wood mulch, the prices are:
One cubic foot of bagged compost = $6
Bulk compost = $50/yard or $2.50/ft
Bulk wood mulch + $50/yard or $2.50/ft

These items are very useful when landscaping around your business this spring.
Call ahead for specific fees and prices, as these may change.

If you have pallets that can be repaired, contact the Alaska Pallet Company at 243-2432. This company will recycle or refurbish your pallets. They also dismantle odd-sized pallets and use the wood to build custom pallets.

How Can I Reduce Wood Waste?

Some brush and tree waste can be left as habitat for small animals. You may also consider having it chipped onsite to use as mulch without needing to transport it anywhere.

If your business receives lots of pallets, consider working with your vendors to have them return pallets to the distributor each time they make a delivery.

Resources

Alaska Pallet Company
8100 Petersburg
243-2432

Anchorage Regional Compost Facility
7985 West End Road (Point Woronzof)
243-8577
Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9am – 5pm; Sat. 9am – 4pm; Sun. 10am – 4pm
Call ahead to verify hours.

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THIS MONTH’S HOT LINK: USEPA’s ENERGY STAR SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

This month’s hot link is USEPA’s Energy Star program for small businesses at http://www.epa.gov/smallbiz/. This site offers specific energy savings tips for different types of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, manufacturers, retail stores, and others.

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THANK YOU 2002 SPONSORS

Platinum: Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services, Phillips Alaska
Gold: Alaska Conservation Foundation, Anchorage Daily News, AT&T Wireless, BP Exploration, KTUU Channel 2, Wells Fargo
Silver: Phone Directories, Inc., Princess Tours, The Home Depot
Bronze: Anchorage Refuse, Data Pro, Odom Corporation, Sam's Club, Smurfit-Stone Recycling, Pepsi Cola Bottling of Anchorage, Wal-Mart ‘A’ St. Store
Supporter: ALPAR, Chugach Electric Association, Corporate Express, Denali Commission, Nabors Alaska Drilling
Contributor: Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Alaska Serigraphics, Alaska Wildland Adventures, Arctic Wire Rope & Supply, CH2M Hill, Fowler & Associates, Green Connection, Shoot-N-Edit, Spenard Builders Supply, The Body Shop, Webb Consulting & Management Services

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The staff of Green Star, Anchorage:
Sean Skaling, Executive Director
Jeanne Carlson, Recycling Program Coordinator
Beverly Short, Air Quality Program Coordinator

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