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E-News: Green Star's Electronic, Environmental Newsletter!
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Green Star E-News Vol. 4, No. 8 August 8, 2003 Recognizing Alaska businesses committed to environmental responsibility. In this issue: * Shining Stars * Alaska Materials Exchange is Online * Plastics Accepted 24 Hours a Day * Municipality Offers Electronics Recycling for Businesses * Alaska State Fair Recycling Needs Volunteer Groups * Green Star Brown Bag Series: Tour of the Glass Recycling Plant and Compost Facility * Waste Reduction Guide Available * August Events * This Month’s Hot Link: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition * Thank you 2003 Sponsors ================================== SHINING STARS BP has agreed to sponsor our Green Events program, including the State Fair Recycles project! In line with one of BP’s core values, to be a green business, they have been generous supporters of Green Star for years. Waste Management, Inc., is providing support for the Green Events program, including donating roll-off containers for collection of recyclables at the Alaska State Fair and transportation of the bins. Lewis & Lewis Computer Store recently enrolled as a member of Green Star and will begin working toward its Green Star Award. Nice to have you on board! A special thanks to several nonprofit agencies who have made contributions in support of our electronics recycling program: Alaska Center for the Environment, Alaska Rural Electric Co-Op Association, Denali Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and the Resource Development Council. ================================== ALASKA MATERIALS EXCHANGE IS ONLINE The new online Alaska Materials Exchange (AME) offers all the benefits of the original quarterly mailing, and more. Visit the AME at its new home on Green Star’s web site (http://www.greenstarinc.org). AME offers a place to list unwanted business and industrial materials, or find materials that others may be selling or donating. The interactive site allows you to list items without going through an application process. It also ensures that the information is always up-to-date and eliminates the need to wait for the next quarter to list items. Here is a sampling of what you will find: Chemicals: Potassium chloride approximately 1,000 lbs, packaged in original 40lb bags and the labeling is completely legible. Computer Accessories: Almost new condition Genicom 4810i serial printer for sale. We've had it for several years, yet it probably only has about an hour of printing on it. As is, asking $1500 or best offer, you come and get it. Construction Materials: Steel building, new - never used - still banded 30' W X 45' L X 16' H. Color - brown - heavy I beam, 2 garage doors 9' X 10', 2 man doors, 6" insulation in 20 " connex. Containers/Packaging Materials: Containers -- plastic 275 gal mounted on pallets. Good for chemicals, water, fuel, etc. Fill hole in top, ball valve on bottom, all plastic. For Sale. Metals: Diesel Tanks -- Diesel tanks assorted sizes up to 20,000 gallons. Office Supplies: Heavy-duty metal office chairs, light gray tweed fabric. Like new condition, 30 chairs available. ================================== PLASTICS ACCEPTED 24 HOURS A DAY There’s good news at the Anchorage Recycling Center. The Anchorage Recycling Center has just completed repaving and rearranging at its site off Rosewood Street. Since Dowling Road is still being repaved and bins are still being moved around a bit, things are still a little chaotic in that area and patience is required to get your recycling done. The major change is that the plastics recycling bins, which have been tucked behind the gates for drop-off only during business hours, are now accessible with the other materials 24 hours a day. At the recycling center, you will find bins for #2 HDPE plastics, #1 PET plastics, plastic bags, aluminum cans, glass, magazines, newspaper, mixed paper, shredded paper, corrugated cardboard, and steel cans (somewhat in that order). The fence has been moved back to improve access at the recycling center and to make room for more bins in the 24-hour drop-off area. Behind the fence, you will still be able to drop off scrap ferrous metals and aluminum cans for money during business hours. Some of the bins will probably be moved around again before their final spots are determined so be patient when you recycle. All the bins are there; they just may not be where they were the last time! If you have questions about the recycling center’s changes, please contact Smurfit-Stone Recycling Company at 562-2267. ================================== MUNICIPALITY OFFERS ELECTRONICS RECYCLING FOR BUSINESSES The Municipality of Anchorage’s Solid Waste Services just started a new electronics-recycling program for businesses. For a fee, businesses can drop off electronics, including computers, monitors, copiers, fax machines, printers etc., at the landfill from 8am – 5pm, Tuesday through Saturday. The fee for monitors is $30 for a monitor less than 19” and $35 for a monitor larger than 19”. The fee for all other electronics is 50¢/pound. Call Solid Waste Services at 343-6262 or visit http://www.muni.org/sws for more details. Residential users can expect another recycling opportunity this spring when Green Star hosts the second annual Electronics Recycling Day. In the meantime, check Green Star’s web site for local businesses that may be interested in used computers or list usable electronics on the Alaska Materials Exchange (http://www.greenstarinc.org). ================================== ALASKA STATE FAIR RECYCLING NEEDS VOLUNTEER GROUPS For a second year, Green Star, Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS), and the Alaska State Fair are teaming up to implement a comprehensive recycling program at the Fair. Recycling is made possible through the generous support of our major sponsor, BP, with special thanks to Waste Management, Inc. for donating the use of collection roll-offs, as well as providing hauling of the recyclables. Here are the facts about the event: * We are looking for teams of about 15 people (give or take a few). This is a wonderful opportunity for business, church, school, scout, or community organizations. * Individuals also are welcome to inquire. We always need a few people to fill in, and we'll have at least one all-individual shift. * The Fair runs from Thursday, August 21st through Monday, September 1st. * There are three recycling shifts available each day. * Shifts are 4 hours long on weekdays and 4 1/2 hours long on weekends and on Labor Day. * Weekday shifts are 11am - 3pm, 2:30pm - 6:30pm, and 6pm - pm. * Weekend and holiday shifts are 9:30am - 2pm, 1:30pm - 6pm, and 5:30pm - 10pm. * We encourage groups to decorate the recycling carts to show off their organization’s presence at the fair. * Visit www.greenstarinc.org/statefair2003.htm for a printable sign-up form and more details about the volunteer activities. *Or contact jeanne@greenstarinc.org or 278-7839 for more information about volunteering. ================================== GREEN STAR BROWN BAG SERIES: TOUR OF THE GLASS RECYCLING PLANT AND COMPOST FACILITY This month’s brown bag event will be a tour of Anchorage’s Glass Recycling facility, owned and operated by Polar Supply, Inc., and the Composting Facility, owned and operated by Commercial Recycling, Inc. The tour will be held on Wednesday, August 20th, 11:45am – 1pm. Meet at the glass recycling and composting facility at 11:45 to learn what happens to the glass that you recycle. It’s one of the few recyclables that is processed and recycled right here in Alaska rather than being shipped out. Also learn about what materials go into local compost, what compost products can be purchased, and the process involved in composting. Directions: Drive west on Northern Lights Blvd. Go past Earthquake Park, the airport, and the sewage treatment plant. Drive a mile or so after the pavement ends. At the end of the road, turn right into the glass plant/compost facility. Parking is to your left before the trailer. RSVP to Green Star at 278-7827 or info@greenstarinc.org. ================================== WASTE REDUCTION GUIDE AVAILABLE Green Star recently published “Becoming a Green Star: A Waste Reduction Guide for Anchorage Businesses.” This 65-page guide provides tips, examples, and resources relating to numerous waste reduction topics, including recycling, energy efficiency, toxics reduction, and purchasing. The guide is available free of charge for all Green Star enrollees and awardees as a member benefit. We will be developing a distribution plan for our members shortly but if you are currently working toward achieving your Green Star award and would like to access the resources in the guide sooner, please contact us and we will mail you a copy. Extra copies will be made available for potential members and other interested organizations. The guide also is available for free online at www.greenstarinc.org/guideindex.htm. Green Star wishes to thank the following organizations for their assistance in developing and printing the guide: Municipality of Anchorage Solid Waste Services Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Alaska Conservation Foundation ConocoPhillips Alaska ================================== AUGUST EVENTS The Alaska Oceans Program will host the Alaska Oceans Festival on Saturday, August 9, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the west end of the Park Strip. The event will be a Green Event, with recycling for aluminum cans, glass bottles, and plastic bottles available. Join numerous groups in celebrating our water planet with bands, food, a beer garden, children’s activities, booths and other good stuff. People Mover will host the first annual Alternate Transportation Fair on Saturday, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Dimond Center. In remote areas, environment sometimes dictates travel by dogsled, kayak, snow machine or floatplane. In urban areas, Alaskans concerned with the environment travel by carpool, bus, electric scooter, bicycle and foot. The Alternate Transportation Fair will feature many of the unique ways resourceful Alaskans get around "The Great Land." The Alternate Transportation Fair is hosted by Anchorage People Mover, Dimond Center and radio stations KBEAR, KOOL, KFQD, KWHL, MIX and KHAR. The event will feature transportation exhibits by Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Parks and Recreation Trails, Anchorage Air Quality and Green Star, People Mover Bus, AnchorRIDES, Share-A-Ride, Segway Scooters, Anchorage School District school bus safety, Dimond Athletic Club, Parachutes Teen Resource Center, and more. For information call 343-8491. ================================== THIS MONTH’S HOT LINK: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition www.svtc.org Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), a grassroots organization that focuses on responsible global technology, health issues, and a Computer Take Back Campaign, among other things, recently released a report analyzing the electronics recycling efforts of the nation's two largest personal computer makers -- Dell and Hewlett-Packard. Each handles recycling of the waste from computer products in remarkably different ways. SVTC commended Hewlett-Packard for using "state of the art" practices in partnership with an expanding commercial recycling industry, while criticizing Dell for using low-cost prison labor in association with Unicor, an industrial prison system within the Justice Department. The report was issued on the second day of a series of meetings now being held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in an effort to set standards for recycling consumer electronics and computer technology parts. Visit SVTC’s web site to view the full report. ================================== 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, Rasmuson Foundation 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 Rural Electric Co-Op Association, 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, Denali Foundation, Federal Express, Hartig Rhodes Hoge & Lekisch, Hotel Captain Cook, Kaladi Brothers, Mettler Toledo, Nabors Alaska Drilling, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy, Northern Printing, Pallet Services of Alaska, Public Relations Student Society of America – Seawolf Chaper, R&M Consultants, Recycle Alaska, Resource Development Council, 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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