green star annual report 2011
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Interior Alaska Green Star Annual Report
2011
Physical Address: 565 University Avenue, Suite 4, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
Mailing Address: PO Box 82391, Fairbanks, Alaska 99708
(907) 452-4152
www.iagreenstar.org
Executive Director
Andrea Miller
Mission Statement
Interior Alaska Green Star is a non-profit organization which encourages households and
businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Message from the Executive Director
2011 was an exciting year for Interior Alaska
Green Star (IAGS), as we introduced two new
programs and continued to work on
strengthening our presence in the community.
Our new Electronics Recycling Depot opened in
June, and now provides a dedicated location
where local residents and businesses can
responsibly recycle all types of electronics on a
monthly basis. With this opening, IAGS accomplished a long-held goal to provide ongoing access to
electronics recycling for the Fairbanks North Star Borough and surrounding communities. We are very
proud of this achievement and are thrilled to provide this service for our community.
IAGS achieved another major goal with the publication of the first edition of our Fairbanks Recycling
Guide in August. This guide contains important information about what, where, and how to reuse and
recycle materials in Fairbanks. The guide has been well received as a helpful tool to help community
members navigate the somewhat complex recycling scene in Fairbanks.
Once again, we saw a few changes on our board this year. John Bittner joined us in January and his
enthusiasm and ideas were a great addition to our organization. Unfortunately, his role with IAGS was
short-lived, as a work move took him out of state in August of the same year. We also lost another
valuable board member in January, when Ty Keltner left Fairbanks for a work-related move to Juneau.
We still miss Ty’s vision and dedication to IAGS’s mission, as well as his business and marketing skills.
I am so grateful to everyone who helps make it possible for IAGS to play a role in our community –
including the dedicated IAGS board, hardworking volunteers, and community-minded business sponsors.
Without the help of all these committed individuals and organizations, it would not be possible for IAGS
to continue offering the programs and services that we provide. Thank you for all you do – and here’s to
another great year for IAGS!
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Electronics Recycling Events
WHY WE CARE ABOUT ELECTRONIC WASTE
According to the EPA, 3.19 million tons of electronic waste was generated in the U.S. in 2009; only
600,000 tons of this electronic waste (e-waste) was recycled. This means that over 82% of our e-waste –
or 2.59 million tons – ended up in our landfills in a single year.
E-waste contains toxic materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants. For
example, an old CRT monitor can contain between four and eight pounds of lead. It is estimated that nearly
40% of the heavy metals in landfills comes from discarded electronic equipment. Aside from the toxic issues
surrounding electronics disposal, much of the material present in computers and other electronic devices is
recoverable, such as gold, copper, metal, and plastics. Rather than throwing away these valuable resources,
it makes sense to recycle the devices and reuse as many of these materials as possible.
IAGS TAKES ACTION IN FAIRBANKS
In 2011, IAGS diverted a total of 67,238 pounds (33.6 tons) of electronic waste from the landfills of
Interior Alaska. See below for more information about these electronics recycling collections.
Spring Electronics Collection at the Recycling Round-Up – May 20th – 21st
Our spring electronics collection at the third annual Recycling Round-Up event was a huge success. We
collected electronics from a total of 260 businesses and households during this event. We were very
busy throughout this event weekend and collected 42,313 pounds (21.2 tons) of electronics over the
course of two days.
Electronics Recycling Depot – June-December
IAGS opened the Electronics Recycling Depot on June 17th, 2011. This new depot is open to collect old
and unwanted electronics for recycling on the third weekend of every month – Friday and Saturday.
During the period of June through December, IAGS collected a total of 24,925 pounds (12.5 tons) of
electronics for recycling. The depot served a total of 345 customers during that time period – including
299 households and 46 businesses/organizations.
ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PARTNERS
IAGS selected Total Reclaim, Inc. (TRI) as our electronics recycling partner based on their high
recovery rate of e-waste materials and their responsible handling of toxic materials. TRI
researches all of their downstream vendors to ensure they are environmentally responsible.
They hold ISO:14001 and R2:2008 certifications for all of their facilities, as well as e-Stewards
certification for their Seattle, Washington facility; TRI’s Anchorage and Oregon facilities are also
in the process of obtaining the e-Steward certification.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Solid Waste Division was a key partner at our Spring
Electronics Recycling collection. Their contributions of heavy equipment and skilled forklift
operators to safely load the pallets of electronics material onto trucks for shipment to
Anchorage were essential to the success of that event.
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Tanana Valley State Fair Association supported us again by donating the venue for the Spring
Recycling Round-Up event.
Air Land Transport continues to be a critical partner for our Electronics Recycling program; they generously donated the shipment of five trailers full of electronics recyclables to Anchorage during 2011.
Alaska Waste is a new partner for our Electronics Recycling program. They provide us with a
location for monthly collections at the Electronics Recycling Depot by generously donating the
use of warehouse space at their Phillips Field Road Recycling Center. This partnership provides
space for our monthly collection activities and storage of electronics between shipments to
Anchorage. In addition, they provide us with necessary equipment and labor services at
reasonable rates.
Third Annual Recycling Round-Up Event – Saturday, May 21
IAGS held the third annual Recycling Round-Up event to help meet the recycling needs of our
community. Several local businesses and organizations participated in this “one-stop” recycling event,
by setting up a collection point at the Tanana Valley State Fairground parking lot to gather a wide
variety of materials for reuse or recycling.
2011 Recycling Round-Up Collects Over 27 Tons of Material
Material Collected Amount
Collected (lbs) Organization
Aluminum Cans 280 Fairbanks Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (FAYEA) and K&K Recycling
Clothing 85 FRA Closet Collections
Electronics 42,313 Interior Alaska Green Star
Food 125 Fairbanks Community Food Bank
Food Cans & Scrap Metal 800 C & R Pipe and Steel
Glass 3,220 K&K Recycling
Household Hazardous Waste 2,000 FNSB Waste Management
Paper 5,000 Fairbanks Rescue Mission and Alaska Waste
Plastic 540 K&K Recycling
Chip Bags & Coffee Bags 72 bags Alliance for Reason & Knowledge (ARK)
This year, our Round-Up attracted approximately 400 participants. Both the amount of material
collected at this event and the number of people who participated were significantly lower compared
to the 2010 Recycling Round-Up. It appears that people are taking advantage of the many recycling
options now available in the Fairbanks area to recycle their household materials throughout the year –
rather than saving them up for this annual event.
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Tanana Valley State Fair Recycling – August 5-13
IAGS partnered with the Tanana Valley State Fair Association
(TVSF) and several local organizations to coordinate the recycling
efforts for the ten full days of the Fair. Alaska Waste generously
provided the collection dumpsters and hauling for the plastic and
aluminum. At the end of the Fair, 450 pounds of aluminum and
670 pounds of plastic were delivered to the Fairbanks Rescue
Mission for recycling. A huge thank you goes out to our
dedicated recycling volunteers who dig through trash bins to
recover recyclables, carry bags of collected recyclables to the
central recycling dumpster, and sort and separate all the plastic
bottles and aluminum cans. We could not do this work without
them.
Compost Bin Sales – Alaska Feed Company
IAGS launched our compost bin sale program in April of 2010. Backyard composting is an easy way to
turn a large portion of household waste into a valuable product. IAGS regularly provided information
about composting at our outreach events throughout the year. In addition, we continue to sell the Earth
Machine compost bins through a consignment partnership with Alaska Feed Company at a price of $75.
These easy-to-use compost corrals are made of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic, and are an
excellent way to get into composting for people who are just starting out with this activity. A portion of
the sales of these bins goes to support IAGS programs and events.
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Public Outreach and Education
Fairbanks Recycling Guide
IAGS published the first issue of our new full-color,
multi-page Fairbanks Recycling Guide in August of 2011.
This new guide provides updated information about
how and where to reuse and recycle many different
materials in our community. It includes charts, lists, and
a map to help residents navigate the somewhat complex
recycling scene in Fairbanks.
One of IAGS’s primary missions is to encourage
residents and businesses in the Fairbanks North Star
Borough to practice waste reduction and recycling. The
Fairbanks Recycling Guide provides us with a powerful
educational tool in order to continue working towards
this mission. We hope that future editions of the guide
will include additional topical and/or seasonal articles to
help residents find ways to live more sustainably at
home, school, and work.
Presentation at Tanana Chiefs Conference Solid Waste Management class – February 16th
IAGS was invited to present at the Solid Waste Management course for village representatives which is
hosted by the Tanana Chiefs Conference. The topic of this presentation was “The Benefits of Recycling”
and it also shared some ideas about how remote Alaskan villages could begin recycling programs of their
own.
Sustainability and Recycling Course – Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) – February-March
IAGS staff and board members collaborated with Michele Hébert from the UAF Office of Sustainability to
present a class at the spring session of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). The group presented
a series of four lectures with the following topics: “Let’s Talk Trash”, “Electronics Recycling”, “Local
Recycling”, and “Composting”.
Bike to Work Week – May 16th – 20th
The third week in May was Bike to Work Week in
Fairbanks. IAGS collaborated with several other
local organizations and businesses to help
coordinate fun activities to promote biking to
work or school in Fairbanks.
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Tanana Valley State Fair – August 5th – 13th
IAGS staff, board, and volunteers enjoyed
time spent at the Tanana Valley State Fair
hosting an informational booth in the
Borealis Pavilion. The Tanana Valley State
Fair represents the perfect opportunity for
IAGS to reach out and connect with our
community, so this is always an important
event for our education efforts. Thanks to
many hours put in by IAGS volunteers and
board members, we were able to educate
Fairbanks area residents on our mission,
programs, and events.
Alaska Math and Science Teachers In‐Service – September 26th
IAGS board members gave a presentation at a Math and Science Teachers In-Service program held in
September. The presentation covered a variety of topics, including: the size of the solid waste problem
and the importance of recycling, electronics recycling, and how to start a school recycling program.
Informational Booths
IAGS is often invited to participate in events coordinated by other local organizations. We appreciate
these opportunities to share information with community members about our organization’s mission
and activities – as well as the chance to meet and network with other local organizations.
In 2011, IAGS hosted informational booths at the following events:
North Haven Communities (Fort Wainwright) – “Life 101” Education Fair – February 7th
Fairbanks Rollergirls – Roller Derby Bout – March 19th
North Haven Communities (Fort Wainwright) – Earth Day Event – April 22nd
Randy Smith Middle School – Garden Bazaar – April 23rd
Alaska Interfaith Power and Light – One People, One Earth Event – May 7th
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Board of Directors
John Bittner (Through August 2011)
North Haven Communities
Ty Keltner, Treasurer (Through January 2011)
Cold Climate Housing Research Center
Pam Seiser
Alaska Biological Research, Inc.
Bill Smyth, Secretary
Department of Environmental Conservation
Carol Ann Varner, Treasurer (From February 2011)
Tanana Valley League of Women Voters
Darcie Warden, President
Alaska Wilderness League
David Weissman, Vice President
Design Alaska, Inc.
FNSB Recycling Commission
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Volunteers
Thank you to all our dedicated IAGS volunteers!
Judy Anderson Dylan Dearinger Miranda Labrum Lisa Smith
Linda Baker Jason Dearinger Will Lentz Russ Smith
Sharon Baker Mary Jane Derendoff Fatima Mancuso Bill Smyth
Marylee Bates Kristi Deskins Susan McInnis Eli Sonafrank
Donna Baum Zach Deskins Susan McIntyre Amy Spairs
Ruby Baxter Carol DeVoe Libby Miles Sue Sprinkle
Diana Becker Mary Dokken Jason Miller Ashleigh Strange
Alexander Bergman Dayna Dominguez Patricia Moodie Bill Stringer
Karl Bergman Brenda Elmer Randall Moudy Jen Stutesman
Brett Billesbach Art Eveland Mary Ann Nickles Ann Swift
John Bittner Christy Everett Jenny Patch Carolyn Tallant
Rachael Brechan Davya Flaherty Dianne Porter Mariah Terhaar
Carey Brink Regina Frazer Alfredo Quiroga Gene Therriault
Becca Bryan Jimmy Gaydos Trina Richards Kristen Thomas
Raymond Carr Kelly Gitter Renae Richardson Dorothy Throop
Rosie Carr Phil Glowa Judy Rogers Carol Ann Varner
Alex Cater Tiffany Green Theresa Rose Joel Vonnahme
Lou Catinella Brian Grinston Maryiln Russell Mary Walker
Taylor Centner Amy Hoger Jerry Sam Darcie Warden
Catherine Chandler Kevin Hoger Keith Scruggs Norm Warden
Sally Coffin Edna Johanson Pam Seiser Shelly Warden
Steve Craddick Drew Kent Danelle Small Walter Weese
Victoria Craddick Britton Kerin Nicholas Small David Weissman
Megan Curtis Colin Knue Jane (Elizabeth) Smith Tegan White-Nesbitt
Andrew Cyr Andy Kozarik Judy Rae Smith David Withoff
Jeff Yarman
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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Sponsors
Thank you to all our generous IAGS sponsors!
Kuskokwim Sponsors – $10,000 – 19,999
Design Alaska
FNSB Recycling Commission
Copper Sponsors – $7,500 – $9,999
Golden Valley Electric Association
Tanana Sponsors – $5,000 – $7,499
Air Land Transport
ConocoPhillips
Koyukuk Sponsors – $2,500 – $4,999
Flint Hills Resources
Teklanika Sponsors – $1,000 – $2,499
Alaska Waste
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Interior Graphics & Printing
Lynden Transport
North Haven
Nenana Sponsors – $500 – $999
ALPAR
Birchwood Homes
Fairbanks Rollergirls
Tanana Valley State Fair Association
Chena Sponsors – $100 to $499
ABR, Inc.
Totem Ocean Trailer Express
Usibelli Foundation
Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
Noyes Slough Sponsors – Up to $99
Fred Meyer
Interior Alaska Green Star – 2011 Annual Report
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2011 Financial Statement
Balance Sheet
2010 2011
Cash, savings, and investments $3,818 $17,662
Land and buildings $0 $0
Total assets $3,818 $17,662
Total liabilities $67 $221
Net assets or fund balances $3,751 $17,441
Statement of Activities
Revenues
Contributions, gifts, and similar amounts received $50,730
Program service revenue $28,103
Membership dues and assessments $0
Investment income $10
Gross profit (or loss) from sales of inventory $0
Total Revenue $78,843
Expenses
Salaries, other compensation and employee benefits $20,775
Professional fees and other payments to independent contractors $4,140
Printing and publications $8,698
Office expenses $689
Conferences/meetings $1,789
Promotion and public awareness $6,938
Recycling expenses $18,260
Dues and subscriptions $839
Insurance $1,758
Supplies $557
Licenses and permits $115
Internet Expenses $300
Total Expenses $65,153
Assets
Excess or (deficit) for the year $13,690
Net assets or fund balances at beginning of year $3,751
Net assets or fund balances at end of year $17,441