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Alaska State Fair Recycling

Green Star has co-organized recycling at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer as part of our Green Events program each year since 2002. Green Star teams with Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS), the Alaska State Fair and numerous sponsors and volunteers to make recycling better every year at the Fair!

The 2007 Alaska State Fair ran from Thursday, August 23 through Monday, September 3. Fair hours are 12-10pm on weekdays and 10am - 10pm on weekends, Labor Day and on Tuesday (special hours).

Sign up to volunteer as part of a group or as an individual for the Fair recycling. Volunteers receive free entry to the fair on that day and a free parking pass for their group.

Results

Over the past six years, we have recycled 261,109 pounds of material. That's more than 130.5 tons of recyclables diverted from the landfill.

MATERIAL (in lbs.)	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Corrugated Cardboard	20,420	19,000	20,800	36,000	45,000	52,200
Aluminum Cans	1,308	1,105	1,375	1,400	1,300	1,140
Glass Bottles	6,000	5,800	5,800	6,050	6,050	none
PET/HDPE Plastic Bottles	1,350	1,460	1,500	2,000	2,700	2,913
Plastic Film	none	none	none	none	200	523
Mixed/Office Paper	none	4,000	3,340	3,500	2,000	4,400
Steel Cans	none	none	none	min.	min.	475
TOTAL	29,078	31,365	32,815	48,950	57,250	61,651

Each year, between 200 and 500 volunteers help to recycle for twelve days during the Fair, as well as for several days before and after, as vendors set up and break down. The volunteers collect recyclables (cans and bottles) from the numerous recycling bins scattered throughout the fairgrounds, transport them back to the Recycling Sorting Area, and sort them from any trash into large recycling dumpsters and roll-offs. Volunteers also collect cardboard from the fair vendors and bring it back to the cardboard roll-off at the Recycling Sorting Area.

Special Thank You's

Thank you to the sponsors and volunteer groups who participated in 2007.

Sponsors & Donors

Alaska Waste

Carrs -- Palmer
Carrs -- Wasilla
Coca-Cola Bottling of AK
Fred Meyer -- Palmer
Fred Meyer -- Wasilla
Great Harvest Bread Co.
In and Out Deli
Patricia Deschamps
Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group
Three Bears
Valley Recycle Pick Up
Wal-Mart -- Wasilla

Volunteer Groups & Organizations

Alaska Center for the Environment
Anchor Park United Methodist Church
Boy Scout Troop #300
Boy Scout Troop #368
BP
Chickaloon Village Traditional Council
ConocoPhillips
Girl Scout Troop # 430
Girl Scout Troop # 443
HDR, Inc.
The Idea Group families
Matanuska Telephone Association
North Star Palmer Residential Treatment Center
Palmer High School
Palmer Kiwanis
Sanderson Home School Group
Southcentral Foundation
Scout Group #363
Transitional Living Program
St. John United Methodist Church
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wasilla Rotary
And all the individuals and families

Thank you to Kathleen Asay and Carole Henry, volunteers who are at the Fair every year, every day collecting cardboard from vendors.

Thank you to Judith Andregg, David Pelto, and Gene Sauer, this year's State Fair Recycling Staff members.

Special Prizes and Awards

Each year, Green Star, VCRS, and the Alaska State Fair award several prizes to those organizations who demonstrated a strong recycling ethic. These volunteers display extra effort in their recycling activities and help to make recycling easier and more successful. This year's winners are:

2007 Volunteer Awards

First Prize -- Colony High School ROTC
Second Prize -- Chelsea Cates
Third Prize -- Sanderson Family

Past Event Summaries

Additional Links:
  Green Star Award
  Green Events
  Green Star Schools
  Site Assessments
  Electronics Recycling
  AK Materials Exchange
  AME Listings

The State Fair is a Green Event, sponsored by:

880 H Street, Suite 106
Anchorage, AK 99501
info at greenstarinc.org
907.278.7827
279.5868 fax