Closing the Loop: Recycling still strong in the Interior despite a setback.

• Author: Kvapil, Rachael
• Position: ENVIRONMENTAL

"The community wants a recycling program," says Matt Pearson, recycling manager for the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB). "There has been a long-time push from community members for a centralized location where they could bring materials and electronics."

Pearson says people have many reasons for recycling, from stewardship of resources to reversing climate change. For the FNSB, the reason is more quantifiable. Each borough resident produces around 5.8 pounds of trash per person per day, above the national average of 4.4 pounds. Without recycling, every waste product ends up in the FNSB landfill on Sanduri Street in southwest Fairbanks, decreasing the lifespan of the 250-acre facility. As it stands, the landfill is designed to last until 2070. Once it's filled, the borough will need additional acreage for a new dump site.

"Reducing or diverting material can extend the lifespan of the landfill," says Pearson. "It can also reduce the amount of methane gas being released from discarded materials breaking down."

Borough-led recycling began twenty years ago with the Used Oil Energy Recovery program, which serves as the primary fuel source to heat the main landfill building. Soon after, FNSB began exploring a borough-operated recycling service, which culminated in 2017 with the opening of the Central Recycling Facility (CRF) on the north side of town.

The government-run recycling center serves as the drop-off point for five materials: aluminum beverage containers, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper including newspaper and office paper, plastic bottles and jugs (#1 and #2), and electronics, which are processed by Green Star of Interior Alaska.

In less than five years of operation, the CRF has collected more than 2,043 tons of materials. Despite a learning curve during the first year, Pearson says the facility has run smoothly, minus a small closure during the pandemic.

Oh, and one other hiccup. The CRF closed with the start of the municipal fiscal year on July 1 when the borough and the facility operator were unable to agree on a new contract. Borough officials expected procurement of a new contractor would take two to three months. As this article goes to press, the CRF may be back in action, or it will be soon.

What's Trash, What Isn't

The CRF is closed to anyone outside of FNSB boundaries; the facility only accepts items from residents and local businesses. As a public service, residents can drop off materials at no charge, while commercial entities pay a fee of $75 per ton for regular...