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E-News: Green Star's Electronic, Environmental Newsletter!
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Green Star E-News Vol. 4, No. 6 June 12, 2003 Recognizing Alaska organizations committed to environmental responsibility. In this issue: * Shining Stars * Electronics Recycling – Alaska Does It Bigger! * Brown Bag Series: June 18 – Environmentally Preferable Purchasing * Green Star Board of Directors Elected * AYEA Summer Fun-Raiser * Bear Proof Recycling Containers * Saturday Market Needs Your Help * This Month’s Hot Link: Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center * Thank you 2003 Sponsors ================================== SHINING STARS We welcome our new enrollees – Evergreen Resources Alaska Corporation, M-1 Drilling Fluids, and Denali National Park & Preserve. ================================== ELECTRONICS RECYCLING – ALASKA DOES IT BIGGER! Anchorage’s first ever electronics recycling event was a tremendous success, thanks to the sponsors, donors, volunteers, and participants. On the business day, 152 businesses and organizations participated, recycling 2,753 monitors and TVs and 110,000 pounds of other electronics. The top four biggest business recyclers were the Anchorage School District, BP, Municipal Light & Power, and First National Bank. On the household day, 929 households participated, recycling 1,039 monitors and TVs and 35,500 pounds of other electronics. Overall, 280,328 pounds (more than 140 tons) of electronics were shipped out for recycling. This material was shipped in 15 trailers on 554 pallets. Estimates based on quantities collected at events held in similar-sized cities ranged from 87,000 to 175,000 pounds. Anchorage topped that and then some. Our quantities were 60% higher than the high end of the range. This may be attributed to several factors including 1) Alaska has the highest per capita computer ownership of any state, 2) Alaska has never had a large-scale electronics recycling event, and 3) this program included both businesses and h0useholds, which is not the case with many other programs. More than 100 volunteers helped to plan and carry out the event. Everyone worked hard to keep the lines moving and keep the ever-growing sea of electronics from overwhelming the space available. Approximately 48 sponsors donated funds, services, or supplies to ensure a successful event. The event was made possible through the generous support of BP and a grant from the Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services. Other sponsors and supporters include: Bronze sponsors TOTE Horizon Lines Weaver Brothers Carrs-Safeway Anchorage Daily News Odom Corporation ConocoPhillips Alaska Anchorage Refuse Smurfit-Stone Recycling Company Philip Services Corporation Warning Lites of Alaska Green sponsors ACS Air Land Transport, Inc. Alaska Computer Society Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Alaska Support Industry Alliance ALPAR American Red Cross Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Anchorage School District Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility Arctic Office Products Boy Scouts Explorer Post 2014 Bredeson Company Carlile Transportation Systems Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce Citizens for Recycling Solutions Continental Allied Corporate Express Costco Federal Express Fiona Graham Hotel Captain Cook Kaladi Brothers Mettler Toledo Northern Printing Pallet Services of Alaska Public Relations Student Society of America, Seawolf Chapter Spenard Builders Supply The Home Depot United Way of Anchorage USEPA Region 10 Yukon Equipment Zach Voris, Eagle Scout For details about where the materials went, why recycling electronics is beneficial, what recycling options are now available to Anchorage businesses and residents, and a list of the volunteers involved, visit www.greenstarinc.org. ================================== BROWN BAG SERIES: JUNE 18 – ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING June’s Brown Bag presentation will be held on Wednesday, June 18th at the BP Energy Center, 11:45am – 1pm. The topic is “Environmentally Preferable Purchasing.” A panel of speakers will discuss both the process of purchasing more efficiently and a variety of environmentally preferable products. Both office products and industrial products will be covered. In addition, one speaker will address purchasing decisions associated with print jobs, such as paper, inks, and other factors that can affect cost and material use. Speakers will be: Mary Ann McIntyre, Hazardous Materials Warehouse Specialist, Elmendorf AFB Sean Elder, Vice President of Sales, Corporate Express Brad Roberson, Senior Sales Representative, Northern Printing Please RSVP to 278-7827 or info@greenstarinc.org, as space is limited. The July 16th Brown Bag event will be a tour of Anchorage’s wastewater treatment facility. Details in next month’s issue. ================================== GREEN STAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTED At its May meeting, the Green Star board elected its 2003-2004 members and officers, whose terms begin July 1. They are: Officers: President: Cindy Mittlestadt, Alaska Support Industry Alliance Vice President: Tom Turner, Member at Large Secretary: Corrine Eilo, Denali Commission Treasurer: Alan Schuyler, ConocoPhillips Alaska Past President: Steve Heinle, Princess Tours Board of Directors: Guy Barton, Smurfit-Stone Recycling Mary Fisher, Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling Craig Gales, Anchorage Refuse Vivian Hamilton, Hamilton Public Relations Morry Hollowell, Yukon Equipment/Anchorage Chamber Geoff Kany, BP Greg Kellogg, US Environmental Protection Agency Chris Kosinski, Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility Col. Fred Lehman, US Army Alaska Tee Little, Member At Large Col. Doug Miller, US Air Force Deborah Williams, Alaska Conservation Foundation Vacant, Alaska Center for the Environment Vacant, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Special thanks to Dave Adams of AMC Engineers whose term will expire June 30 after six years of outstanding service on the Green Star Board. We have Dave to thank for our strong accounting and fiscal management system as well as for keeping the board focused on the important issues over the years. A special recognition also is due to Tom Turner and Tee Little who have worked closely with Green Star from the Compliance Assistance Office of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Their office will close on July 1 due to State cutbacks, though they will still serve on the Green Star board as members at large. The board and staff wish to thank Tom and Tee for all the many significant contributions to pollution prevention and to Green Star they have made over the past 13 years! ================================== AYEA SUMMER FUN-RAISER Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) invites parents and community members to its first annual Summer Fundraiser on Wednesday, June 18, 6-9pm. Mayor-Elect Mark Begich will be the group’s special guest and will say a few words at 7pm. The event will be held at the home of AYEA member Sarah Gottstein and her mom Dale Goodwin at 1000 Botanical Heights Circle. Take Seward Highway South; right at O'Malley exit; pass Old Seward, left on C street; left on Timberlane; right on Thomasson; Thomasson turns into Botanical Heights, 1000 Botanical Heights, gray house on left. The event will help make AYEA’s 2003 "Summer Get Together" a reality. This year's event will train 30 urban and rural teens about environmental leadership and subsistence. Support AYEA as they build bridges and cultivate a new generation of environmental stewards with a donation of $45. ***GOOD FOOD & DRINK***LIVE BAND***INSPIRING STORIES OF YOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION***DOOR PRIZES*** ================================== BEAR-PROOF RECYCLING CONTAINERS With all the publicity about wild animal encounters lately, it’s a good time for businesses and residents alike to think about bear proofing trash and recycling containers. Leaving your trash and even recyclables in unsecured containers in areas where bears are common is just asking for trouble for you, your neighbors, and the bears. Waste Management, Inc., recently purchased bear-proof trash and recycling bins from Cascade Industries for its customers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the Valley. The National Park Services at Denali National Park is currently using the Hide-a-bag system from McClintock Metal (see below). Many bin styles are available. Here are just a few resources for finding bear-proof containers: www.bearproofing.com www.bearbins.com www.bearsaver.com www.mcclintockmetal.com ================================== SATURDAY MARKET NEEDS YOUR HELP For the past two years, Downtown Saturday Market has been a Green Event -- recycling its beverage containers and cardboard boxes with the assistance and support of the market manager and the Arc of Anchorage. The Arc has provided the labor every Saturday through the summers to collect hundreds of pounds of aluminum cans and plastic bottles generated by the thousands of residents and visitors who attend the Market. Market staff also collect cardboard and place it in a separate container for recycling. Recently, the Arc learned that it could no longer participate, leaving the Market without recycling staff. Green Star is looking for a dedicated community group interested in taking over where the Arc left off. We need a group to set out 30 recycling bins before each Market (~9am), monitor and decontaminate the recycling bins throughout the day, empty the bins at the end of the day, and put the bins into storage for the week (~6pm). The group would need to deliver the recyclables collected to the recycling center during weekday business hours to drop off plastics and cash in aluminum cans. The Arc has earned about $350 from aluminum cans in past years. The Market operates every Saturday from mid-May through mid-September and the hours are 10am – 6pm. The event provides a good opportunity for a scout group, community group, or other organization looking for a volunteer project that also raises some money. Groups could be just a few people or up to 10 to 15. Let’s help the Market continue to be green. If your group is interested, contact Green Star at 278-7839 or Jeanne@greenstarinc.org. ================================== THIS MONTH’S HOT LINK: Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center -- http://www.pprc.org PPRC is the Northwest's leading resource for promoting a cleaner environment through pollution prevention. PPRC provides high quality, unbiased information, facilitates information exchange, and catalyzes pollution prevention projects. ================================== THANK YOU 2003 SPONSORS Green Star could not exist without the generous financial support of many individuals and leading local businesses. To become a Green Star individual member or corporate sponsor, please call (278-7827) or visit our web site http://www.greenstarinc.org. A huge thank you to our 2003 sponsors! Platinum: BP, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services Gold: Alaska Conservation Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, Wells Fargo Silver: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Anchorage Refuse (A Waste Management Company), Princess Tours, The Home Depot, Bronze: Anchorage Daily News, AT&T Wireless, Carrs-Safeway, Horizon Lines, Merrill Lynch, Northern Printing, Odom Corporation, One Northwest, Pallet Services of Alaska, Pepsi-Cola Bottling of Anchorage, Philip Services Corporation, Sam's Club, Smurfit-Stone Recycling Company, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Wal-Mart ‘A’ St. Store, Warning Lites of Alaska, Weaver Brothers Green: ACS, AirLand Transport, Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska Computer Society, Alaska Serigraphics, Alaska Support Industry Alliance, Alaska Textiles, Alaska Wildland Adventures, ALPAR, American Red Cross, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, Anchorage School District, Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, Arctic Office Products, Bredeson Company, Carlile Transportation Systems, Chugach Electric Association, Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, Continental Allied, Corporate Express Alaska, Costco, Denali Commission, Federal Express, Hartig Rhodes Hoge & Lekisch, Hotel Captain Cook, Kaladi Brothers, Mettler Toledo, Nabors Alaska Drilling, National Wildlife Federation, Northern Printing, Pallet Services of Alaska, Public Relations Student Society of America – Seawolf Chaper, R&M Consultants, Recycle Alaska, Spenard Builders Supply, Tikigaq Corporation, United Way of Anchorage, USEPA Region 10, Yukon Equipment, Zach Voris – Eagle Scout ================================== Past issues of E-News are available on our web site, sorted by topic or date. Please send comments, questions, or suggestions for future E-News topics to us at enews@greenstarinc.org. Forward this newsletter freely. Send us any email addresses you wish to add to our mailing list. Thank you! The staff of Green Star, Anchorage: Sean Skaling, Executive Director Beth Verrelli, Membership & Communications Coordinator Jeanne Carlson, Program Coordinator |
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