Perhaps from the very beginning. Nearly a quarter century ago, Lawrence Reed wrote about the growing fad of recycling, which state and local governments were pursuing—mostly through mandates, naturally—with a religious-like fervor.
There were numerous problems with the approach, he observed. In the legislative rush to pass recycling mandates, state and local governments should pause to consider the science and the economics of every proposition. Often, bad ideas are worse than none at all and can produce lasting damage if they are enshrined in law.
Simply demanding that something be recycled can be disruptive of markets and it does not guarantee that recycling that makes either economic or environmental sense will even occur. If only lawmakers had heeded Mr.
Believing that there was no more room in landfills, Americans concluded that recycling was their only option.
Their intentions were good and their conclusions seemed plausible. Recycling does sometimes make sense--for some materials in some places at some times. But the simplest and cheapest option is usually to bury garbage in an environmentally safe landfill.
And since there's no shortage of landfill space the crisis of was a false alarm , there's no reason to make recycling a legal or moral imperative. What about the environment? To that end, Alaska Waste is proud to be a large part of the effort to recycle, reuse, and limit the footprint of waste in the state.
This article first appeared in the August print edition of Alaska Business. Something viewed from one perspective can look radically different from another. And when a shift in perspective leads to a shift in perception, it often yields surprising results.
After all, a grizzly and a sockeye may share the same stream—but hardly the same view. Recycling in Alaska Aug 3, Environmental , Nonprofits. Tom Anderson. What is Recyclable? Recycling in Anchorage.
Handling the Big Jobs. Redefining Waste Management. The Anchorage Office Recycling program is aimed at assisting small businesses reduce waste. Every week Alaska Waste retrieves mixed paper cardboard, magazines, newspapers, and office paper , aluminum and tin cans, and plastic soda and water bottles.
Commercial Dumpster Recycling offers commercial customers and businesses that produce large amounts of recyclable items receptacles including dumpsters, roll-offs, and compactors designed exclusively for recyclable materials. Recycling Solutions in the Mat-Su. Large and Unique Recyclables. Liquid and Solid Waste. Step by Step. Current Issue October Read Issue. Latest News. From the Digital Edition. Recycling also cuts down on the use of oil and gasoline. For example, one ton of recycled steel saves the energy equivalent of 3.
Source: EPA. In Anchorage, our recycling is hauled to Washington State on barges that would otherwise be empty, having traveled to Alaska to drop off groceries and other goods. Fact: We deliver over tons of recycled materials to the Anchorage Recycling Center every month.
Our trucks haul recyclables seven days a week! Then, plastic bags of feces from honey buckets are disposed in a sewage lagoon. A different approach to delivering these services is needed. The Solution With an international solicitation of proposals in , the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has initiated a project to spur worldwide research and develop innovative and cost effective water and sewer systems for homes in remote Alaska villages.
Photos and Videos. Systems in Rural Alaska. Resources and Studies. Press, Articles, Links.
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