Recycling news archive

ASD Recycling Program is Underway

(published Oct. 2008)

A river of waste runs through Anchorage, and the Anchorage School District has joined with the municipality in the battle to stem the tide by instituting a district-wide mixed-paper recycling program.

Currently, 28 schools have mixed-paper recycling dumpsters serviced by Alaska Waste. ASD Recycling Coordinator Amy Kirn-Leist is working with those schools to fine-tune their processes.

Kirn-Leist will help set up the program at every ASD school and facility, but the cooperation of students and staff will be the key to the program’s success. She plans to visit and enroll approximately 25 facilities in the program per quarter for the 2008-09 school year.

The goal is to have every ASD worksite recycling its mixed-paper by August 2009.

Kirn-Leist will work directly with local recycling contractors to enhance the district’s program.  The focus for now is on mixed paper - the bulk of ASD’s recyclable material. Once paper recycling is fully underway, the district will evaluate other materials to include in the program.

The district’s program was established through a grant from the Municipality of Anchorage. This program will save considerable costs in waste-disposal fees to the district and is most beneficial by empowering ASD staff and students to make Anchorage a greener place.

According to ASD Recycling Coordinator Amy Kirn-Leist, mixed-paper is by the far the largest component of the waste the district’s facilities generate, constituting hundreds of tons each year.

Staff will empty appropriate mixed-paper items into blue bins placed in every classroom and copier station. When the bins are full, the custodial staff will empty the materials into mixed-paper dumpsters serviced by Alaska Waste.

Recycling Representatives at each school and facility will monitor participation and help answer questions to ensure the effectiveness of the programs. At several schools, the student environmental groups will be assisting in the program.

Green Star Earthsavers- Inlet View Elementary

(from Inside ASD, Oct. 17, 2008)

On Tuesdays at Inlet View Elementary School, student representatives from grades 1-6 gather in teacher Nancy Farrer’s room to save the world.

At their meeting this week, the Inlet View Earthsavers conducted some business then went from room to room collecting recyclables – magazines, aluminum cans, newspapers, plastic bottles and phone books, mixed paper, ink cartridges and glass. They also conduct litter patrol in the school.

Fifth-grader Brenna Hilton said she enjoys participating because “it’s helping and could help save people.” Her co-club member, Phenix Johnson, a fourth-grader, echoed Brenna sentiments.

“I like doing it because it helps people and also animals,” Johnson said. “I love animals and will do anything to help them.”

Indeed the club’s business that day included a majority vote on where to send the $50 the club recently received for the aluminum cans it turned in at the Anchorage Recycling Center. The club donated about $600 in aluminum-can revenue last year.

Farrer, the school’s “recycling queen” according to her colleagues, said the club always donates its money to organizations that help animals or their habitats like the Alaska Zoo, Alaska Sea Life Center, Bird TLC Treatment and Learning Center and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. On Tuesday, the conservation center was voted the recipient.

The club’s dedication has earned recognition from Green Star and the Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling. The organizations presented Inlet View with its “Outstanding Anchorage School” award for 2007.

But it’s not just the students that are involved. Adults donate time and carry materials like the aluminum cans to the recycling center. Farrer said the cans have to be deposited during the day to receive the funds, and an adult volunteer executes that duty.

“It’s great, because the kids like to be with adults doing things like this. The hope is that this will be a lifelong habit for some of the kids,” Farrer said. “The positive thing is that they get to be leaders. They feel it is important and it strengthens their connection to their school, because they are the ones taking care of it.”

Her co-workers Patty Underwood and Anne Pfeifer are happy to follow Farrer’s lead, who actually took over the club’s supervision from retired teacher Ed Brewer. Farrer is due to retire next year and Pfeifer and Underwood are considering taking on her job.

The club has extra support from parents, the teachers said, like Gary Burleson, who consolidates the recyclables and helps take the right items to the dumpsters for newspapers and aluminum cans at the school.

ASD Recycling Coordinator Amy Kirn-Leist also helped out on Tuesday and told Farrer the school would soon receive another designated mixed-paper dumpster, which seemed to thrill the teachers.

“We teach the students to reduce, reuse and recycle, and they put it into action,” Farrer said. “Our Green Star Parade that travels around the school is a tradition now.”

The club is saving the earth, one day at a time.

Citywide Cleanup sweeps up

(published May 2008)
More than 75 schools participated in the 40th annual Anchorage Chamber Citywide Cleanup Day last week, like the volunteers from SAVE High School and King Career Center in the pictures. Thousands of bags of trash were collected through the Super Sweepers program, a joint effort of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and ASD.

“There would be no way Citywide Cleanup would be as successful as it is without the level of support ASD provides,” said Cleanup Coordinator Gail Palmer. “The Super Sweepers coordinators and their volunteers are genuine ‘Cleanup Heroes’ when it comes to beautifying our community.”

Please take a moment and thank these volunteer coordinators:
Elementary Schools: Kim Gregoire, Abbott Loop; Myrna DeCota, Airport Heights; Shayne Riley Alpenglow; Marie Russell, Aquarian Charter; Amy Kearnes, Aurora; Jackie Stuckwish, Baxter; Tracy Blain, Bayshore; James Ketcherside, Birchwood ABC; Mary Gerrard, Bowman; Pam Johnson, Campbell; Mary Cordry, Chester Valley; Laurel Piscoya, Chinook; Gigi Schulte and Deb McGee, Chugach Optional; Heather Burgess, Chugiak; Eileen Foyle-Saft, College Gate; Sandra Thompson, Creekside Park; Gail Somerville, Denali; Mary Meade, Eagle Academy; Laura Anderson, Eagle River; Francisca Guilford, Fairview; Denise Carpenter, Family Partnership; Christina Perry and Carrie Hislop, Fire Lake; Alison Rein, Girdwood; Deborah Soares, Gladys Wood; Trish Lacey, Homestead; Pam Stewart, Huffman; Michelle Egan, Inlet View; Marissa Fanger, Kasuun; Chris McNeese, Kincaid; Erin Jettenberg, Klatt; Mary Hacker, Lake Hood; Dan Blanton, Lake Otis; Alicia Woods, Muldoon; Jen Stoneburner, North Star; Krystal Offord, Northern Lights ABC; Lillie Sams, Northwood; Renee Spencer, Nunaka Valley; Patti Randlett, O’Malley; Janice Sims, Ocean View; Jason Lukens, Orion; Judy Waldron, Polaris K-12; Meredith Ketcherside, Ptarmigan; Raynae Harding, Rabbit Creek; Susan Browne, Ravenwood; Brian Hickey, Rogers Park; Lisa Wardle, Russian Jack; Kevin Cordell, Sand Lake; Karen Pollard, Scenic Park; Pam Osowski, Spring Hill; Paul Wieneke, Susitna; Patrick Ryan, Trailside; Chris Dabbs, Tudor; Bonnie Schram, Turnagain; Sharon Baker, Tyson; Adele Daniels, Ursa Major; Christy Butler, Ursa Minor; Danielle Lesko, Williwaw; Mary Garcia, Willow Crest; Kelly Maxim, Wonder Park.

Middle and High Schools:
Leslie Fleming, AVAIL; Richard Noren, Bartlett; Anne Barnett, Begich; Danelle Vanholystyn, Benson Secondary; Dan Pinkerton, Beth Smart, Central; Nancy Brain, Douglas Wall, Chugiak High; Nichole Broquet, Dimond; Dave Ennis, Eagle River High; Susan Tifental, Hanshew; Teena Calkin, KCC; Gregory Ross, Mears; Clare Foster, Mirror Lake; Vajra Miller, Romig; Jessie Salway, SAVE; Kim Garner, Jamie Shearer,  South; Mary Peterburs, West.